A huge explosion rocked a military base used by Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) south of Baghdad on Friday evening, military sources told Reuters.
Major strikes were carried out overnight from Friday to Saturday against Iranian-backed militia targets in Iraq, south of Baghdad, as reported by the Saudi network Al-Hadath. 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 carried out. Two PMF sources said the strikes did not cause casualties but caused material damage.
PMF sources said the strikes targeted a PMF headquarters at the Kalso military base, near the town of Iskandariya, about 50 km south of Baghdad.
According to Saudi Al-Hadath, the attack was carried out by three F-35 aircraft. A US official said the attack was carried out outside Iranian territory. However, another report from CNN stated that no significant damage was recorded at the site. The attack took place near Osfia, located in Iran.
American mission in Syria and Iraq
In January 2024, a US airstrike foiled an attack on the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and international forces in western Iraq. According to US military sources, a rocket launcher was attached to a small truck parked east of the base with rockets ready to be fired.
With 900 troops in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq, the United States says its mission is to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State.
The Iraqi PMF militia is an Iranian-backed militia and has more than 100,000 fighters. After the defeat of ISIS in Iraq, the militia became an official government-funded force linked to the Iraqi Interior Ministry. The new official force began stockpiling missiles and drones and operating more freely in Syria, threatening U.S. and Israeli forces.
In 2020, a US strike killed Suleimani while he was traveling in Baghdad. The Guard Intelligence Department suspected that a PMF informant had provided details of Suleimani’s trip. This led his successor, Ismail Ghani, to decide to create a force fiercely loyal to the regime.
Reuters contributed to this report.
News Source : www.jpost.com
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