ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said Wednesday that the joint US-Saudi strikes on its bases across Iraq earlier in the day have killed “at least” 20 members and injured 32 others in seven provinces, noting that the casualty toll is expected to rise.
In a statement, the organization said the attacks were “launched by the joint US-Saudi aggression targeting a number of official PMF headquarters across several Iraqi governorates.”
Washington and Riyad on Wednesday launched a series of coordinated airstrikes on the bases associated with the state-sponsored PMF. The strikes were in response to earlier drone attacks launched from Iraqi territories by “Iran-aligned terrorist militias” on US bases and Saudi oil infrastructure.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement the US and Saudi fighter jets “struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq” in what it described as “a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours.”
“From February through April 2026, there were more than 600 attempted attacks on U.S. citizens and facilities by Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq,” the statement added.
The PMF said the strikes “resulted in varying material damage to several headquarters, vehicles and military equipment.”
“The announced figures of martyrs and wounded remain an initial toll subject to rise or update as search operations and field reporting continue,” the statement added, noting that field work is ongoing by "specialized committees” to assess further damages.
Following the attacks, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called for an emergency meeting of the national security council, his office said, noting that a detailed statement will be issued after the meeting “regarding the course of events and the decisions taken.”
The umbrella group of the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance of Iraq - which overlaps with the PMF - has sided with Tehran in late February, when the US and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran. As fluctuating tensions between Washington and Tehran resume, the group continues to attack US interests in the region.
Meanwhile, the Saudi defense ministry linked the strikes to “the right to self-defense guaranteed by international law.”
“The Kingdom also affirms that it does not seek escalation, but if subjected to any attacks, it will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to preserve the Kingdom's sovereignty and protect its citizens and capabilities,” read a statement from the ministry following the airstrikes.
The attacks on the Iraqi armed group come as the Iraqi premier has promised to disarm the armed groups and restrict weapons under state control by September 30, coinciding with the scheduled withdrawal of the US forces in the country.
While most of the armed groups - operating under the PMF - have responded to Zaidi’s call, several powerful Iran-aligned armed groups in Iraq, including Kata'ib Hezbollah, Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, have refused to disarm.
Updated at 11:14 am
