In a recent incident, two members of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) were killed, and six others were injured in a drone strike that targeted a PMF facility east of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday.
The statement from the Baghdad Operations Belt Command, a division of the PMF in Iraq, confirmed the death of Talib Al-Saadi (Abu Taqwa), the deputy commander of the Baghdad Operations Belt, in the American airstrike.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi channel “Al-Sumaria” reported that “the airstrike, which targeted the headquarters of the Al-Nujaba Movement (Brigade 12 of the Popular Mobilization Authority) on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad, was carried out by aircraft believed to be American,” and preliminary information indicates that a leader of the Al-Nujaba Movement and his aide were killed.
Last week, the Iraqi government condemned the “American side’s targeting of Iraqi military sites under the pretext of retaliation,” which resulted in the death of one soldier and the injury of 18 others, including civilians. The government’s statement emphasized that “the American targeting of Iraqi sites damages bilateral relations between the two countries and constitutes an unacceptable infringement on Iraqi sovereignty,” as reported by the Iraqi News Agency (WAA).
The Iraqi government reaffirmed its commitment to dealing firmly with any elements that attack foreign diplomatic missions or places where military advisors from friendly countries are present, using all its security forces, constitutional institutions, and legal authorities.
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) had earlier announced that “the US military conducted strikes on three sites in Iraq used by Iranian-backed militias” in response to an attack that occurred hours earlier, injuring American soldiers. The Pentagon stated that “these precise strikes are in response to a series of attacks on American personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militias, including an attack by the Hezbollah Brigades, affiliated with Iran, and its affiliated groups on Erbil Air Base earlier on Monday.”
The spokesperson for the Iraqi Army’s Chief of Staff, Yahya Rasool, announced injuries resulting from a drone attack on the vicinity of Erbil Civil Airport in northern Iraq. In a statement, Yahya Rasool stated that “the Iraqi government continues its intensive efforts to enhance security and stability across the nation, strengthen state institutions, and develop the capabilities of our heroic security forces.”
