The United States launched strikes against three sites used by Kata'ib Hezbollah and its affiliated groups in Iraq, in response to an attack targeting American military personnel by an armed drone in northern Iraq, while the Iraqi government condemned the incident and confirmed that it resulted in the death of one person and the injury of 18 others, including civilians.

The spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, Adrienne Watson, said regarding the U.S. strikes in Iraq, according to what the White House published in a statement on its website, that early Tuesday morning, in northern Iraq, an armed drone targeted American military personnel, resulting in the injury of three U.S. service members, one of them in serious condition.

She added that the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia and its affiliated groups, under the umbrella of Iran-backed militants, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Watson continued, saying that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin immediately briefed the U.S. President on the attack this morning and the latter ordered the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare response options against those responsible, noting that Austin presented these options to Biden during a phone call.

For his part, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced, via a post on the "X/Twitter" platform, that U.S. forces carried out necessary and proportionate strikes on 3 facilities in Iraq used by Kata'ib Hezbollah and affiliated groups.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command confirmed that the airstrikes destroyed the targeted facilities and likely killed a number of Hezbollah members, in response to the attack that targeted U.S. military personnel with a drone in northern Iraq.

For its part, the Iraqi government condemned, on Tuesday, the targeting of Iraqi military sites by the American side under the title of response, which resulted in the martyrdom of one member and the injury of 18 others, including civilians.

According to Alsumaria News channel, the government affirmed that it deals firmly through its security forces of all types, constitutional institutions, and all its legal authorities regarding the actions of some elements assaulting the premises of foreign diplomatic missions or places where military advisors from friendly countries are present, noting that these assaults have previously been identified as hostile acts that violate Iraqi sovereignty, and it is unacceptable for them to be committed under any circumstances, title, or justification.

The statement emphasized that this step harms the bilateral relations between the two countries and will complicate the ways to reach understandings through joint dialogue to end the presence of the international coalition, and above all, it represents an unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty, according to the statement.

The statement clarified that the security forces have succeeded in establishing security and stability throughout the country and achieving victory over the ISIS terrorist gangs, which no longer pose a threat to Iraqi national security, affirming that no party will be allowed to undermine what has been achieved and consolidated through thousands of precious sacrifices.