Iraqi armed group says attacks against US troops to be resumed if withdrawal talks fail

Shafaq News/ Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, a powerful Iran-aligned paramilitary group, has warned that it may resume attacks on US forces if the Iraqi government fails to reach an agreement with the US on a timetable for their withdrawal from the country. The group's spokesman, Kadhem al-Fartusi, told Shafaq News agency on Saturday that the group "have given the Iraqi government and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani a chance to withdraw US forces according to a specific agreement and an announced timetable." Al-Fartusi said the group hope that the negotiations will lead to a "positive outcome" for the withdrawal of the "occupying forces" while preserving Iraq's foreign relations with other countries. He added that "there is no specific deadline for the opportunity given to the Iraqi government by the armed factions, but if the negotiations fail, there will be a return to military action against the Americans." The warning from Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada comes as Iraqi officials are engaged in talks with the US over the future of US forces in the country. The talks are part of a broader effort to reduce tensions between the US and Iraq. The US currently has around 2,500 troops in Iraq, primarily stationed at bases in Erbil and Baghdad. The troops are part of a coalition force that is helping to train and advise Iraqi security forces. The Iraqi government has said that it wants all US troops to withdraw from the country by the end of 2024. However, the US has said that it is willing to keep some troops in Iraq if the Iraqi government requests them.