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A series of strikes in northern and central Iraq on Saturday killed at least five members of Iraqi security forces, with local authorities and paramilitary groups blaming the United States and Israel.
According to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces – PMF), three of its fighters were killed in a strike near Kirkuk International Airport. The group described the attack as a “treacherous Zionist-US attack.” A security official reported that six Iraqi soldiers were also wounded in the same incident, which occurred close to Iraqi air force and special forces bases.
In a separate attack, two police officers were killed and five wounded in a strike on a police station in Mosul. The PMF stated that the station was jointly used by its forces and regular police.
Iraq Increasingly Drawn Into Regional War
Since the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28, Iraq has been steadily pulled into the wider conflict despite its efforts to remain neutral.
Pro-Iran armed groups operating inside Iraq have launched multiple drone and rocket attacks against US targets, including the American embassy in Baghdad. In retaliation, several strikes have targeted bases belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is officially integrated into the Iraqi army but contains powerful pro-Iran factions that have sometimes acted independently.
Strained US-Iraq Relations
Relations between Washington and Baghdad have become increasingly tense. A previous strike on a medical clinic in western Iraq that killed seven Iraqi security force members prompted Baghdad to summon the US chargé d’affaires, although the United States has strongly denied targeting Iraqi forces.
The latest violence comes just one day after the US and Iraq announced the formation of a High Joint Coordination Committee to prevent attacks and ensure Iraqi territory is not used to launch assaults against US facilities.
Latest Incidents
Late Saturday, two drones targeted the US embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone for the first time in ten days. Both were shot down by air defenses.
In the north, a drone struck near the second residence of Kurdistan Regional Government President Nechirvan Barzani. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack, as did Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Explosions were also reported near Erbil International Airport, which hosts a major US consulate complex and coalition military advisors. Air defenses were activated in response.
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