The US military struck Iraqi militants on Tuesday, with intelligence sources suggesting the group was about to conduct a drone attack on Israel, The Times reported.

It was the first such airstrike conducted by American forces in the region for six months.

The organization targeted in the raid, Hashd ash-Shabi, is suspected of being behind several recent attacks on US personnel in Iraq.

Five people are reported to have been killed, including a suspected member of the Yemeni Houthis, who have also been engaged in drone operations against Israel and US forces since the start of the war on Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

A drone specialist from the Iranian Quds Force, Ahmed Reza Afshari, was wounded in the attack.