A base belonging to a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq was targeted by several missiles Friday into Saturday, leading to widespread speculation over who was behind the explosions. The blasts followed an airstrike on an Iranian military base Thursday, although Israel has denied any involvement with the attack in Iraq.
Explosions rocked the Kalsu Base of the Popular Mobilization Force (PMU), which is tied to Iran. Varied reports indicated either one or eight people were killed in the base.
Footage from the strikes appeared to show an ammunition storage facility exploding. Large impact craters and significant destruction were seen the following morning.
While Israel has officially denied being part of the airstrike in Iraq, photos from the aftermath appear to show the debris left from an Israeli missile platform. The United States also stated that it was not involved in the airstrike.
The Chief of Staff for the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), Abu Fadak Al-Mohammedawi is claiming to have Discovered a Fin as well as several other Pieces of a GBU-12 Paveway II or lV Aerial Laser-Guided Bomb, used by the Israeli Air Force, at the Site of last night’s Attack and… pic.twitter.com/jm8lhTKmaT
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 20, 2024
Iraqi militias were reportedly involved in the Iranian strike against Israel earlier this month and made several bellicose statements against Israel.
The latest incident came amid the ongoing back and forth between Israel and Iran. Iran launched a barrage of hundreds of drones and missiles against Israel earlier this month which caused one injury but no deaths. The large majority of the projectiles were shot down by American, British, Israeli and Jordanian defenses.
On Thursday Israel struck an Iranian military base in the city of Isfahan, which is also home to a key nuclear site. Israel did not confirm or deny its involvement with the strike, but their involvement was confirmed by American officials.
The latest strike also comes amid speculation regarding what exactly Israel will do following the Iranian barrage and whether or not Israel will destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Both Jerusalem and Washington fear that Iran is stockpiling enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon.
The Israeli war cabinet has reportedly agreed on a plan of action but has not disclosed what may happen next. Both the Iranian attack on Israel and vice versa represented the first such strikes of their kind.
