On Friday night, an airstrike against a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) military base located 40 kilometers south of Baghdad resulted in the death of at least one person and injuries to 20 others. According to the organization, three drones hit the main entrance to the base and one PMF office. The base houses Iraqi military and police personnel, as well as fighters from the PMF, which is recognized as a formal security force by the Iraqi authorities. Explosions occurred in equipment warehouses, with ongoing fires and search operations for the injured.
The perpetrator of the attack remains unknown, though militia sources have attributed it to the United States. However, both Washington and the international coalition led by the United States denied involvement in the attack. Israeli sources also denied participation in the attack and expressed readiness to respond to whoever is behind it.
In recent months, tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated, with Iran carrying out direct attacks on Israeli soil and uncertainty surrounding a potential Israeli ground offensive in Gaza. This incident adds to the broader context of regional conflicts involving various armed groups and international actors in ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, part of an Axis of Resistance group influenced by Iran, has been targeted by US troops in Iraq due to their involvement in attacks against US troops. These organizations have attacked Israel and its ally, the United States, as part of their response to Israeli offensives in Gaza.