A huge blast rocked a military base used by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to the south of Baghdad late on Friday, army sources told Reuters.
Significant strikes were carried out overnight between Friday and Saturday against targets of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, south of Baghdad, as reported by Saudi-owned Al-Hadath network. Additionally, Iraqi media claimed that the attack was carried out by a number of drones targeting a military base belonging to the militias.
According to reports, during the attack, two separate waves of strikes were conducted. Two PMF sources claimed that the strikes did not lead to casualties but caused material damage.
PMF sources said the strikes targeted a headquarters of the PMF at the Kalso military base near the town of Iskandariya around 50 km south of Baghdad.
According to Saudi Al-Hadath, the attack was carried out by three F-35 jets. An American official claimed the attack was conducted outside Iran’s territory. However, another report by CNN stated that no significant damage was recorded at the site. The attack took place near Osfia, located in Iran.
US mission in Syria and Iraq
On January 2024, a US airstrike foiled an attack on Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq. According to US military sources, a rocket launcher was fixed to a small truck that was parked east of the base with rockets ready to be fired.
With 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 more in Iraq, the US claimed their mission is to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State.
The Iraqi militia PMF is an Iranian backed militia and is numbered more than 100,000 fighters. After ISIS’s defeat in Iraq, the militia became an official government-paid force linked to the Iraqi Interior Ministry. The newly official force began stockpiling missiles and drones and to operate more freely in Syria, threatening US and Israeli forces.
In 2020, an American strike killed Suleimani on a trip to Baghdad. The Guards Intelligence Department suspected that an informant from the PMF provided details about Suleimani’s trip. This lead to his successor, Ismail Ghani, decision to create a force that was fiercely loyal to the regime.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Abhinav Thawait is a globe-trotting correspondent with a passion for international affairs. With a background in international relations, he offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues around the world. Abhinav’s curiosity takes his to the far corners of the earth, where he seeks to share untold stories and diverse viewpoints.
