Iraq says U.S. airstrikes on Hashd Shaabi forces "irresponsible escalation"

BAGHDAD, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi government said on Wednesday that U.S. airstrikes on positions of the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces are "irresponsible escalation" in the Middle East region.

Yahya Rasoul, the military spokesman of the Iraqi prime minister, said in a statement that the airstrikes in Iraq's western province of Anbar and the central province of Babil, which is located just south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, are "unacceptable act that violates Iraq's sovereignty and leads to an irresponsible escalation, at a time when the (Middle East) region is witnessing the danger of expanding the conflict in Gaza."

At a time when Iraq is achieving a positive understanding regarding the role and tasks of the members of the U.S.-led international coalition and its advisors in Iraq by organizing the future relationship, "we find such actions obstructive to this path and harmful to all agreements of security cooperation," the statement read.

Iraq urged the international community to assume its responsibility in supporting peace and security and preventing all violations that threaten the stability and sovereignty of Iraq, the statement added.

Earlier in the day, the Hashd Shaabi said in a statement that one of its fighters was killed and two others were wounded by U.S. airstrikes after midnight near the Iraqi-Syrian border and the Iraqi capital Baghdad.