The explosion took place during a joint security operation conducted by the PMF’s third and eighth brigades, during which they found a car with explosives in the district of Haditha. The car exploded when the team was trying to take apart the vehicle and dispose of the material.
Last week, ISIS claimed in its weekly propaganda newspaper al-Naba that it had conducted 15 operations in Iraq from February 18 to 25, killing and injuring 21 people, including PMF fighters.
ISIS has attacked PMF forces several times this year, particularly in territories disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, including Diyala, where ISIS sleeper cells thrive.
On February 2, five members of the PMF were killed in a clash with ISIS militants in Diyala, according to state media and the PMF.
On January 24th, at least 11 fighters from PMF were killed in an ambush by ISIS in Salahaddin.
Since the territorial defeat of ISIS in Iraq in late 2017, the role of the PMF has increasingly been called into question, with some demands to withdraw units garrisoned in northern areas and fully integrate them into the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).
PMF units close to Iran are widely accused of abducting and killing protesters during the Iraqi protests, and are also believed responsible for a spate of deadly rocket attacks targeting US and coalition personnel stationed at bases across Iraq.
