A suspected American drone strike on Thursday afternoon targeted a PMF logistical support base in eastern Baghdad’s Palestine Street, killing two commanders including Mushtaq Talib al-Saeedi, better known as Abu Taqwa, a former commander of Harakat al-Nujaba and the deputy commander of the PMF’s Baghdad Belt Operations.
“The Iraqi Armed Forces holds the international coalition forces responsible for this unprovoked attack on an Iraqi security body … we consider this targeting a dangerous escalation and attack on Iraq,” Yehia Rasool, military spokesperson for Iraq’s prime minister, said in a statement.
The statement described the “blatant attack and violation of the sovereignty and security of Iraq” as “no different from a terrorist act.”
Six members of al-Nujaba were wounded in the strike, and while the PMF officially blamed the US, no parties have yet claimed responsibility for the strike.
Al-Nujaba comprises the PMF’s 12th brigade, and is among the Iran-backed groups that Washington blames for a spate of drone attacks on American interests in Iraq and Syria since mid-October in response to American support for Israel in its war against Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The latest strike comes amid increased hostilities against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war with Israeli strikes targeting commanders of Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezhollah group, as well as the assassination of a top IRGC commander in Syria.
The Iraqi government previously denounced the attacks on US personnel in the country, but an American retaliatory attack against the pro-Iran groups which killed eight members of the government-linked PMF in late November triggered heavy backlash from Baghdad, who condemned the attack and labeled it as a violation of its sovereignty.
A suicide drone in late December targeted forces of coalition based near Erbil International Airport, wounding three US service members, one critically.
US forces retaliated with airstrikes targeting multiple locations of pro-Iran militia groups in Babil. The Iraqi federal government quickly condemned the US strikes, saying they targeted Iraqi military bases, killing one and injuring 18 others.
The Iraqi government said that its security forces are dedicated to safeguarding diplomatic missions in the country and that Baghdad has previously defined the attacks against them as “hostile acts,” but stressed that the US airstrikes are “unacceptable” and a “violation” of the country’s sovereignty.
