United States offers $3 million for information on Iraq attacks

BAGHDAD -- The US Department of State's Rewards for Justice programme said Thursday (June 10) it was offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on attacks against Americans in Iraq.

The announcement comes a day after an attack with three "explosive-laden" drones on Baghdad airport, where US troops are deployed.

"America is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on planned attacks or past ones against American diplomatic installations," said a statement in Arabic on the Twitter account of Rewards for Justice.

It provided a US telephone number, and said the information could be sent via the messaging apps Whatsapp, Telegram or Signal.

US interests in Iraq have come under repeated attacks since October 2019, including with rockets.

Some have been claimed by a new crop of "smokescreen" militias aligned with Iran that have emerged in Iraq over the last year that are generally understood to be fronts for Kataib Hizbullah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 42 attacks have targeted the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraqi bases housing US troops or Iraqi convoys carrying logistical support.

The latest attack on Wednesday was carried out with three drones packed with explosives, the Iraqi army said on Thursday. One of them was intercepted by air defences.

It was the fourth such drone attack in less than two months, and the first on targets in the Iraqi capital.

Experts say the use of such drones marks an escalation in attacks against American interests by pro-Iranian forces.

While Iran denies providing its proxies with weapons, the type and quality of rockets used in attacks in Iraq "unquestionably" implicate Iran in the events, observers say.

The techniques are similar to those deployed by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen against Saudi Arabia.