Airstrikes Kill 11 Iran-Backed Fighters in Iraq

Airstrikes killed at least 11 Iran-backed fighters in Iraq on Thursday, targeting bases near the Iraqi-Syrian border and in the outskirts of the capital Baghdad, according to security and armed faction officials.

Nine fighters were killed and 10 others wounded when strikes hit a base linked to the Harakat Ansar Allah al‑Awfiya, a faction sanctioned by the United States. Security officials said the base was destroyed in the attack, adding that rescue teams arriving at the site were also targeted.

The facility belonged to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as Hashed al-Shaabi, a network of militias that was later incorporated into Iraq’s official security structure. Several brigades within the force maintain close ties with Iran.

The PMF confirmed that nine of its members were killed in the strike and accused the United States of carrying out the attack. It said the targeted positions had no involvement in attacks against American bases in Iraq or elsewhere.

According to the group, the fighters killed were performing official duties, including assignments near the Iraqi border.

In a separate incident, at least two members of another Iran-aligned faction were killed when a strike hit a base in the outskirts of Baghdad. Officials from the Kataib Hezbollah said the site targeted in the bombing was shared by police units and PMF forces.

Officials described the incident as the first such strike reported near the Iraqi capital since the escalation of the regional conflict.

Iraq has long been a battleground for rivalry between the United States and Iran, with successive Iraqi governments attempting to maintain relations with both sides. The country was quickly drawn into the broader Middle East crisis after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28.

Since then, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed responsibility for repeated attacks on US bases in Iraq.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani condemned the latest strikes, calling them “blatant attacks” on Iraqi security forces.

He said the PMF members targeted were carrying out official missions within Iraq’s security framework and warned that continued attacks on military sites risk undermining the country’s stability.

Al-Sudani added that the repeated strikes represented a serious violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and could further complicate the already tense security situation in the region.