Blasts at Iraq PMF security agency base kill 4 members

BAGHDAD: Blasts on Tuesday inside a base south of Baghdad used by Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) of Iraq killed four members of the official state security agency containing several Iran-aligned armed groups, and wounded four others, police and medical sources told Reuters.

The initial death toll was one, but two others who were critically injured in the blasts later died and another body was retrieved from the location of the blasts, hospital sources and a local government official said.

Read more: Taliban declares western Afghan diplomatic missions invalid

The blasts came after multiple rockets were launched at Iraq’s Ain al-Asad airbase housing US-led forces late on Thursday, US and Iraqi sources said, with no damage or casualties reported.

In a statement issued following the blasts, PMF of Iraq made no accusation, saying it was unidentified explosion.

Another PMF statement issued later said rockets fired by drones targeted two patrols for the PMF forces in town of Jurf al-Sakhar just south of Baghdad.

An Iraqi military official said the cause of the blast remained unclear and authorities will start investigating the incident.

Two Iraqi PMF local commanders accused the US of carrying out airstrikes that targeted the PMF base. There was no immediate response from the US military.

Ambulances rushed to the area where the camp is located, 50 km south of Baghdad, said witnesses.

Read more: Another Israeli soldier indicted over abuse allegations

Iraq, a rare ally of both Tehran and Washington which hosts 2,500 US troops and has Iran-backed militias linked to its security forces, has witnessed escalating tit-for-tat attacks since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October.