ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack on the Shiite-led Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitary group which killed at least 40 of their fighters and wounded dozens of others on Tuesday on the Iraq-Syria border.
In an online statement, ISIS said it “staged a three-pronged attack that included a suicide bombing, followed by fighters storming the militiamen’s positions,” The Associated Press reported.
The group added that it had also taken one fighter captive.
ISIS claimed the attack was launched from near Iraq’s city of Mosul, which was liberated by Iraqi forces and US-led coalition last month, and then followed by an on-ground assault, by five fighters.
Along with the 40 fighters killed, there were at least 30 more wounded.
Sayyid al-Shuhada, a member of the mainly Shiite force, originally stated that their forces were bombed by US planes on Monday in Anbar province near the Iraq-Syria border and that they suffered many casualties.
However, the US-led global coalition to defeat ISIS has described allegations that it struck Hashd al-Shaabi forces in Anbar province on Monday as "inaccurate."
"Allegations of Coalition strikes vs. Popular Mobilization Forces near Iraq - Syria border are inaccurate. No Coalition strikes there ATT [at that time]," the Coalition spokesman US Army Col Ryan Dillon tweeted on Tuesday.
Ahmed al-Maksousi, a deputy for Hashd al-Shaabi stated they were hit by artillery fire in Syria's Jamouna area, about 12 kilometers (about 7.5 miles) from the Iraqi border.
The militia vowed "this act will not pass without punishment."
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he spoke with the militia's leadership and that reports of the incident were still being confirmed.
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