BAGHDAD, Jan 04 (AP): An airstrike on the logistical support headquarters of an Iran-backed militia in central Baghdad Thursday killed a high-ranking militia commander, militia officials said.
Thursday's strike comes amid mounting regional tensions fueled by Israel-Hamas war and fears that it could spill over into surrounding countries.
The Popular Mobilization Force - a coalition of militias that is nominally under the control of the Iraqi military - announced in a statement that its deputy head of operations in Baghdad, Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, or "Abu Taqwa," had been killed "as a result of brutal American aggression."
It was not immediately clear who had carried out the strike. Officials with the U.S. military and embassy in Baghdad did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The strike killed two people and wounded five, according to two militia officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
One of the officials said al-Saidi was driving into the garage of the headquarters affiliated with the al-Nujaba militia, one of the members of the PMF, along with another militia official when the car was hit, killing both.
Iran-backed militia leader killed in Baghdad airstrike
It was not clear who carried out the strike
FE Team | Published: January 04, 2024 21:15:27
Iran-backed militia leader killed in Baghdad airstrike
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