Iraq: US Forces capture leader of paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters

US Forces on Thursday (local time) captured a leader of paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters in Jubba area at the town of al-Baghdadi, some 190 km northwest of the Iraqi capital city Baghdad.

Xinhua, citing an official and a security source, reported that "US forces conducted an operation and captured a leader of paramilitary Sunni tribal fighters over participating in a rocket attack on an airbase housing U.S. troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar."

The U.S. troops conducted an airdrop operation before dawn on a house in Jubba area and arrested Naseer al-Obeidi, a leader of local tribal fighters affiliated with the Hashd Shaabi forces, Xinhua quoted a local official as saying on condition of anonymity.

 

Multiple rockets hit an airbase that houses US troops in western Iraq's Anbar province on December 3 but no casualties were reported, the Iraqi military had said.

The incident came just over a week after US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen had met the American soldiers stationed at the base ahead of Thanksgiving Day.