Airstrikes hit the headquarters of Iraq's umbrella group for Iran-backed Shiite militias and a residence belonging to its leader on Tuesday, killing at least 15 fighters, in an escalation of US-Israeli strikes against one of Tehran's key regional allies, Reuters reports.
At least 30 others were wounded in attacks on a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) headquarters in Al-Anbar province, located in the Euphrates valley, according to medical officials who said some victims were in serious condition and the death toll could rise.
Among those killed was the commander of PMF operations in the province, Saad al-Baiji. A large crowd of participants carried his coffin and portraits through the streets of Baghdad on Tuesday afternoon.
Two security sources said the attacks hit PMF headquarters on Tuesday night during a meeting attended by senior commanders.
American-Israeli strikes in Iraq
A separate airstrike hit a residence belonging to Falih al-Fayadh, the leader of the PMF, in the northern city of Mosul. He was not in the building, which he uses only during visits to the city, according to the two security sources who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
A PMF statement said its office in the city was destroyed and a fighter was wounded there.
Such devastating blows against the PMF create political difficulties for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who must maintain a delicate balance between Washington's support and that of Iran-aligned factions in the Shiite-majority country.
Sudani ordered an emergency meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security, according to a statement from the Iraqi army's joint operations command.
The statement said the 15 PMF fighters were killed in an “American-Zionist airstrike”, marking the first time the Iraqi military has accused Israel, along with the United States, of bombing the PMF.
New escalation of the conflict in the Middle East
The PMF, known in Arabic as “Hashd al-Shaabi”, is an umbrella group consisting mainly of Shiite paramilitary factions, formally integrated into the Iraqi state security forces and including several groups aligned with Iran.
Armed groups backed by Tehran have launched attacks on US bases in Iraq and the US embassy since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on February 28.
Washington maintained an influential presence in Baghdad after the 2003 invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, and was followed by the installation of Shiite-led governments friendly to Iran.
Sunnis and Shiites represent the largest branches of Islam, marked by internal divisions over the line of succession to the Prophet Muhammad and matters of religious practice.
The US-Israeli war against Iran has spread beyond its borders, with Tehran launching strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states that host US military installations, while Israel launched new attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, announcing on Monday that it would seize a swath of the country's south.
