It appears the pro-Iranian Iraqi paramilitary factions are going on the offensive in response to the Friday assassination of Hassan Nasrallah.
“At least two Katyusha rockets were fired at a military base hosting U.S. forces near Baghdad International Airport, two Iraqi military officials told Reuters early on Tuesday.”
Air defenses at the base have reportedly intercepted the rockets. The location has come under attack several times before. This weekend saw large protests outside of the US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone and clashes with local police, as largely Shia demonstrators tried to access the embassy compound.
There are several breaking reports that Israel’s military (IDF) is preparing to launch a “limited” ground invasion of South Lebanon. Fox Pentagon correspondent Liz Friden writes:
Israel will launch a “limited” ground incursion into South Lebanon. Incursion is imminent. Will be smaller in scale than in 2006 and last a shorter period of time.
The White House has since announced that President Biden opposes an Israeli ground operation. He is still calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon, after saying he supported the Nasrallah assassination in the name of “justice” for past attacks on Americans.
Biden in fresh remarks issued somewhat weak and meager statements opposing the imminent ground op…
The new ground op was first signaled Monbday by Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant, who said the “next phase of the war against Hezbollah will begin soon.” The IDF has been amassing troops near the Lebanese border for several days now.
Gallant said while visiting the north and as reported by the Times of Israel: “The next stage in the war against Hezbollah will begin soon … We will do this. And as I said here a month ago [that] we will shift the center of gravity [to the north], this is what I say now: We will change the situation and return the residents home.”
Israel expanded attacks into central Beirut on Monday, killing three senior members of the leftist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Aerial forces also struck the Lebanese town of Ain Deleb. The country’s health ministry says at least 45 people were killed.
And another first of the conflict:
Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired a “Nour missile” at Israel, which sources familiar with the Lebanese militant group told Reuters is a ballistic missile.
The missile hit the village of Kafr Giladi in northern Israel, the statement said, adding that it had fired it in response to “Israeli violations of cities, villages, and civilians.”
