US Will Retaliate For Tajji Deaths: Esper & Milley

UPDATED with strike report & names of the dead PENTAGON: Less than a day after rockets killed two US troops and one Briton at Camp Tajji in Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley made clear the US would take action – to be determined – against the perpetrators.

UPDATE On Thursday evening, just hours after the briefing, the US struck “five weapon storage facilities” south of Baghdad belonging to Kata’ib Hizbollah, identified as an “Iranian-backed Shia militia group.” The group has a long history of deadly attacks on US and allied forces in Iraq, and the US has struck back repeatedly, most recently in December. One report said British forces were also involved. It is unclear if any militia members were killed or what equipment was actually destroyed. UPDATE ENDS

“I have spoken with the president. He’s given me the authority do what we need to do,” Esper told reporters this morning. “I’m not going to talk about what, when, who.”

Does that include possible strikes against Iran? “I’m not going to take any option of the table right now,” he said, “but we are focused on the group, groups, that we believe perpetrated this in Iraq.”

The attackers came from “Iranian-backed militia groups” using 107mm artillery rockets jury-rigged to fire from a truck. Of 30 rockets fired, many missed the target altogether, but the damage done indicates 12 to 18 rockets hit Camp Tajji, killing three — two American military personnel and one British — and wounding another 14, five of them gravely.

UPDATE On Friday, the Pentagon identified the American dead as Army Private First Class Juan Miguel Mendez Covarrubias of the 227th Aviation Regiment, age 27, from California — posthumously promoted to Specialist — and Air Force Staff Sgt. Marshal Roberts, 28, of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. The dead Briton was Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon, a medic, age 26. UPDATE ENDS

The launcher was recovered by US and Iraqi forces and is now undergoing forensic analysis.

“We do know they are backed by Iran,” Esper said. “We know that for sure.”

Can you identify the specific groups?

“We could, but we’re not,” Milley said with his trademark bluntness. “We know with a high degree of certainty…. We have a good indication based on forensics, where it was fired from, who did the firing.”

“The groups that were responsible will be held accountable,” he promised. “We’re looking at everything [and] will await final options and decisions from the president.”

Esper and Milley have both talked to their UK counterparts, they said, and the US is working with allies on how to respond.

“Let me clear the United States will not tolerate attacks on our people, our interests, or our allies,” Esper said. “All options are on the table as we work with our partners to bring the perpetrators to justice and maintain deterrence. As we have demonstrated in recent months, we will take any action necessary to protect our forces in Iraq and in the region.”

“We’ve got to hold the perpetrators accountable,” he said. “You don’t get to shoot at our bases and kill Americans and get away with it. We’ve been very clear about this certainly since December.”

Why “since December”? Jan. 3 was when a US drone strike killed Iranian Quds force commander Qasem Soleimani, his aides, and Iraqi militia allies just outside Baghdad.