By Our Correspondent
National News – At least 15 fighters, including a senior commander of Iraq’s Shi’ite Popular Mobilisation Forces, were killed after United States airstrikes hit a military site in Anbar province, western Iraq, on Tuesday.
Security and health officials confirmed that the airstrike targeted a command headquarters during a meeting attended by senior paramilitary leaders.
According to local security sources, the strike killed Saad al-Baiji, the Anbar operations commander of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), along with 14 other fighters.
The attack also left about 30 people wounded, some of them critically, raising fears that the death toll could increase in the coming days.
The PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, confirmed the deaths in a statement, accusing the United States of launching the airstrike.
The group said the attack hit a command centre where personnel were gathered for operational duties at the time of the strike.
Officials said the air raid took place in Iraq’s western Anbar province, a strategic region that has long been a focal point for security operations due to its proximity to Syria and its history of militant activity.
Health sources reported that emergency teams rushed the injured fighters to nearby hospitals for urgent medical treatment.
The United States has not immediately released an official statement on the operation.
However, the strike comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following ongoing clashes linked to the broader conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq have carried out repeated attacks on US military bases since February, when fighting intensified following a US-Israeli confrontation with Iran.
These attacks have heightened fears of a wider regional conflict spreading across the Middle East.
The confrontation has already expanded beyond Iran’s borders.
Tehran has launched missile strikes on Israel and some Gulf states hosting American military installations, while Israel has also conducted military operations in Lebanon after cross-border attacks by Hezbollah.
Security analysts say the latest airstrike could further escalate tensions between the United States and Iran-aligned factions operating in Iraq.
