The so-called “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” vowed on Friday to continue its operations against foreign forces in the country in spite of the government’s recent announcement of the success of negotiations with Washington over the withdrawal of the troops.
The government said an agreement was reached to form a military committee that would come up with a schedule for the withdrawal of the advisers of the US-led international coalition to combat ISIS.
The move will ease the pressure on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who has been trying to negotiate the pullout with American officials. The officials have, however, stressed that the need for safe conditions that would accompany the withdrawal.
Meanwhile, the “Islamic Resistance” claimed that the military committee would not have been formed were it not for the “resistance’s attacks” on American forces.
“This demonstrates that the Americans can only understand messages through the use of force,” it added.
The armed group vowed to continue its attacks on the foreign troops.
On Friday, the group announced that it had carried out two drone attacks against the Ain al-Asad air base that houses American troops in the western Anbar province.
Also on Friday, a drone attack on one of Iraq's largest gas fields led to a temporary suspension of production, resulting in major power cuts across the country's northern Kurdistan region.
No group has claimed responsibility for the explosive drone that struck Khor Mor gas field in the Sulaymaniyah region of northern Iraq overnight.
It damaged a liquid gas storage tank but caused no injuries, according to the field's United Arab Emirates-based operator, Dana Gas.
Dana Gas said production was temporarily suspended to put out a fire, which was extinguished. Operations were soon restored.
The United States condemned the attack and urged authorities to investigate, blaming Iran-aligned militia groups.
"We stand with our partners in Iraq ... against these outrageous and senseless actions," the State Department said in a statement. The attack caused a temporary halt in production.
In a separate incident on Thursday, an explosive-laden drone targeting US forces at a base near Erbil airport in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region was shot down by air defenses, the region's counter-terrorism service said.
Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said the repeated attacks on the region are an attempt to undermine it, calling on Baghdad to take “practical and effective measures to put a stop to threats posed by outlaws.”
“We call on friendly countries to take serious measures and cooperate on the ground to ensure the security of our people and protect the region’s economic and political stability,” it urged.
