U.S. forces carried out a defensive airstrike in Musayib, Babil Province, Iraq, on Tuesday evening, targeting militants attempting to launch drones, according to a U.S. military official. The strike, which occurred at 5 p.m. ET, was in response to the perceived threat these drones posed to American and allied troops in the region.
The airstrike targeted a base used by the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq’s Babil Province. According to Iraqi police and medical sources, the attack killed four PMF members and wounded four others. The PMF, an alliance of Iran-aligned militias integrated into Iraq’s security forces, confirmed the explosion and reported casualties without specifying the nature of the strike. The U.S. military stated the operation aimed to thwart an imminent drone attack by the militants.
This strike comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly following a recent Israeli airstrike in Lebanon that targeted Hezbollah. U.S. Central Command assessed the targeted militants as a direct threat due to recent attacks in Iraq and Syria. This defensive action marks the first U.S. airstrike in Iraq since February, when American forces killed a pro-Iran commander involved in previous attacks on U.S. troops.
The PMF described the attack as involving missiles fired from drones, resulting in multiple casualties. Lebanese and Iraqi media affiliated with the PMF blamed the U.S. for the strike, though no official comment was provided by the Iraqi government at the time of reporting. The strike is part of a broader pattern of hostilities involving U.S. forces and Iran-aligned groups, which have seen sporadic exchanges of fire over recent months.
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