The Government of Iraq denounces that there are civilians among the 16 killed by the US bombing in Anbar

Baghdad assures that it received no prior warning of the operation and warns that tonight's attacks in Syria and Iraq leave the region "on the brink of the abyss"

The Foreign Ministry summons the US chargé d'affaires to protest the bombing

The Iraqi Government has confirmed that the Friday night attack carried out by the United States against pro-Iranian militia positions in Anbar province has left at least 16 dead, including civilians, and another 25 wounded, in a harsh statement in which it accuses to Washington directly for "lying" by asserting that it previously warned Baghdad of an operation also carried out in Syria that could drag the entire region into the "abyss."

The spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister of Iraq, Basem al Awadi, has denounced what is "a new aggression against the sovereignty of Iraq" after the American attack in Anbar, which has left "16 martyrs, including civilians, in addition to 25 injuries and loss and damage to residential buildings and citizens' homes."

The attack has been directed against pro-Iranian militias that are part of the coalition of armed groups known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, an alliance that acts with the approval of the Iraqi Government, although the United States denounces that these groups that threaten the security of its forces deployed in Iraq. The FMP, in a previous statement, had confirmed 16 deaths in this attack, although they did not mention the existence of civilians among the deceased.

Al Awadi then denounced that the United States "deliberately falsified the facts" by saying that "there was prior coordination to commit this aggression, which is a false statement intended to deceive international public opinion and disavow legal responsibility for this crime."

The spokesman warned that this attack "puts security in Iraq and the region on the brink and also contradicts the efforts made to consolidate stability."

Al Awadi recalled that this attack occurred in the midst of delicate negotiations between Washington and Baghdad for the total withdrawal of the international coalition of forces against the Islamic State jihadist organization that is still in Iraq.

"The presence of the international coalition, which has deviated from the tasks assigned to it and the mandate given to it, has become a threat to security and stability in Iraq and a justification for involving Iraq in regional and international conflicts," the spokesperson denounced.

Finally, Al Awadi assured that "the Iraqi Government will make all efforts required by moral, national and constitutional responsibility to protect our land, our cities and the lives of our children."

Shortly after the appearance, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced the summons of the American chargé d'affaires.

"In protest against the US aggression that targeted Iraqi military and civilian sites, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon the chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy in Baghdad, David Berker, due to the absence of the US ambassador," according to the note, collected by the official INA news agency

"This comes in order to deliver an official note of protest against the US attack that targeted military and civilian sites in the Akashat and Qaim regions (in Anbar) yesterday Friday afternoon," the statement emphasizes.