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U.S. kills senior leader of Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah in strike in Iraq, says senior U.S. official
The U.S. killed a senior leader of the Iran-backed group Kataib Hezbollah in a strike in Iraq Wednesday, a senior official confirmed to CBS News. The individual targeted was a commander who was in charge of operations in Syria.
Kataib Hezbollah is one of the Iran-backed groups the U.S. holds responsible for a series of attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, as well as for the deadly drone strike in Jordan that killed three U.S. soldiers and wounded dozens more.
Officials told CBS News the strike in Iraq was part of the response President Biden had promised in the aftermath of the drone strike in Jordan.
The retaliation for that attack began last Friday when the U.S. hit more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria that included command and control operation centers, missiles, and rockets used by the militia groups and their Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sponsors, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
Iranian-backed militia groups have launched at least 168 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan since Oct. 17. Those attacks, according to data provided by the Pentagon, have killed 3 U.S. service members, very seriously injured two, seriously injured nine, and 132 others have suffered non-serious injuries.
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.