At least 15 fighters of Iraq’s Shi’ite Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) have been killed in a series of U.S. airstrikes targeting their site in western Anbar province, security and health sources confirmed on Tuesday.
Among the dead was Saad al-Baiji, the PMF’s Anbar operations commander.
The strikes also left approximately 30 others injured, with several in critical condition, raising concerns that the death toll could rise further. According to PMF officials, the attack struck a command headquarters while personnel were on duty.
The PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an umbrella group of predominantly Shi’ite paramilitary factions that have been formally integrated into Iraq’s state security forces.
Several of its units are aligned with Iran, and the group has been involved in retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in Iraq since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran in February.
The recent airstrikes are seen as part of a broader escalation in the Middle East. Tehran has launched attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. military installations, while Israel has retaliated in Lebanon following cross-border fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters.
The PMF described the U.S. strikes as a deliberate targeting of its leadership and warned that the attack could worsen regional tensions.
AFP.
and then