The Iraqi government has denounced US military airstrikes on the nation’s territory as “hostile acts” following the Pentagon’s statement that it had targeted locations used by pro-Iran forces to target US forces. The US airstrikes killed one member of the Iraqi security forces and wounded 18 people, including civilians, the Iraqi government announced on Tuesday. The government in Baghdad referred to the strikes as an “unacceptable attack on Iraqi sovereignty” that would “harm bilateral relations.”

The US airstrikes were launched early on Tuesday and targeted three sites used by Kataib Hezbollah, a Shia armed group, and its affiliates, said US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson. The strikes were a response to a Kataib Hezbollah attack the day before on Erbil airbase that wounded three US service members, one of them critically, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Austin said the “necessary and proportionate” strikes were intended to “disrupt and degrade” the capabilities of the Iran-aligned groups responsible for attacks against US personnel. “While we do not seek to escalate the conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities,” Austin said.

US forces have repeatedly targeted sites used by Iran and its proxy forces in Iraq and Syria in response to dozens of attacks on American and allied forces in the region since the October 7 outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian war. US officials on Tuesday said that the US military would continue to retaliate if US forces were targeted.

“The United States will act at a time and in a manner of our choosing should these attacks continue,” said Watson.