NEW DELHI: An overnight “bombing” wounded several individuals at the Calso military base in Babylon province, south of Baghdad, where Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, or Hashed al-Shaabi, is stationed.
The interior ministry official reported one death and eight injuries from the “aerial bombing,” while the military source said that three Iraqi military personnel were wounded.
Hashed al-Shaabi confirmed the incident, saying that an “explosion” had caused “material losses” and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded. The group sent investigators to the site to assess the damage, which included equipment, weapons, and vehicles.
The security sources did not identify the responsible party or confirm whether it was a drone strike. The US military denied conducting any air strikes in Iraq on that day, with US Central Command saying on social media platform X that reports of American involvement were “not true.” The Israeli army declined to comment on the matter.
Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance of mainly Shiite armed groups formed to combat the Islamic State group, has been integrated into Iraq’s regular security apparatus. The explosion at the Iraqi military base occurs amidst heightened regional tensions due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas.
On the same day, strikes attributed to Israel targeted a military base near Isfahan in central Iran. A senior US Congressional source confirmed retaliatory Israeli strikes but did not provide further details due to their classified nature. Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the attack, while Iranian officials have downplayed its significance.