US-Saudi strikes in Iraq kill eight PMF members, group says
Iraq’s PMF said eight members were killed, while Riyadh and CENTCOM said the strikes targeted militias tied to attacks on US and Saudi sites.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
US-Saudi strikes in Iraq killed eight members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces and wounded four others, the PMF said, after Riyadh and US Central Command said they had hit Iran-backed militias. The strikes raise tensions around Iraqi armed factions that are legally tied to the state but are viewed by Washington and Saudi Arabia as a security threat.
Saudi Arabia and CENTCOM said early Wednesday that the joint air attacks targeted Iran-backed militias in Iraq responsible for attacks on American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The PMF said the strikes hit its sites across Iraq.
The Saudi Ministry of Defence said the operation came in response to recent drone attacks. It said Saudi air defences had intercepted and destroyed several drones aimed at petroleum facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh regions, and said the drones had been launched from Iraqi territory by Iran-aligned militias.
Riyadh said it did not seek escalation but would respond to aggression, according to the ministry statement cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters.
Why did the US and Saudi Arabia strike militias in Iraq?
Saudi Arabia and CENTCOM said the strikes targeted militias they blamed for attacks on US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure. The Saudi Ministry of Defence tied the action to drones it said were launched from Iraq toward Saudi petroleum facilities.
The PMF rejected the strikes as a severe escalation and said they violated Iraq’s sovereignty and official security institutions, according to its statement. The PMF is an umbrella organization for Iraqi militias that Al Jazeera and Reuters describe as backed, trained and loyal to Iran.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a self-described resistance armed group backed by Iran, denied involvement in the attacks on Saudi Arabia. It called the Saudi accusations fabricated and warned that any Saudi action it deemed reckless would bring a harsh response.
The PMF’s position inside Iraq has long been a point of dispute among Baghdad, Washington and neighboring governments, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Under Iraqi law, the PMF is part of the country’s security forces and reports to the commander in chief, who is also the prime minister.
Previous Iraqi governments have struggled to curb the power of armed groups within the PMF network, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Those groups have at times struck the US embassy in Baghdad and bases across Iraq, and have refused government or military orders.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The planned visit comes days after he ordered Iraqi security agencies to investigate the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.