Six members of Iraq’s paramilitary forces tragically lost their lives, and three others sustained injuries, in an unidentified airstrike that occurred early Tuesday.
The attack targeted a group of Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in the Dibis district of Kirkuk province, as confirmed by a statement from the Iraqi Joint Operations Command’s Security Media Cell.
The statement strongly condemned the strike, highlighting that it targeted PMF members who were fulfilling their national duty, and denounced it as a “blatant attack on Iraq.”
It further detailed that the airstrike hit the headquarters of the PMF’s 40th Brigade, causing both casualties and significant damage to the facility.
Over the past few days, more than 10 PMF members have been killed in various attacks, which the group has attributed to a joint US-Israeli operation.
Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region reported in a separate statement that three explosive-laden drones were successfully shot down over the region’s capital on Monday.
It was also noted that one of these downed drones landed near the United Arab Emirates consulate in the city.
The counter-terrorism service released a video that depicted the PMF’s 40th Brigade headquarters in Kirkuk engulfed in flames following the aforementioned attack.
These airstrikes have taken place amidst heightened regional tensions, which escalated after the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran commenced on February 28. In response, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and US assets across the Middle East.
