A strike hit a base of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces on Tuesday in the latest in a wave of retaliatory attacks that have rocked the country since the pro-Tehran armed factions joined the widening Middle East conflict to support Iran in its war with US and Israel.
Three fighters were wounded in the attack on the base north of Baghdad, according to a statement released by the PMF, an umbrella group of government-sanctioned, mainly Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
Militias within the PMF responded immediately after the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, firing missiles and drones at bases hosting American troops and diplomatic missions across Iraq. Iraqi airspace is being used by all warring parties, as US strikes are conducted on militia positions.
The strike followed one of the most intense series of attacks so far between Monday night and early Tuesday morning, mainly in Baghdad.
There were strikes on PMF positions in western Iraq near the border with Syria and a house suspected of being a PMF headquarters in Baghdad, drones and rockets attacked the US embassy, a hotel housing diplomatic missions and US troops at Camp Victory near the capital's international airport.
There were also attacks in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, and on the Majnoon oilfield in southern Iraq, a vital plant that had already suspended production.
The most significant attack was on the Royal Tulip Al Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which was hit by a drone, with no casualties reported. The hotel houses several diplomatic missions including Saudi Arabia's embassy.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein after the attack. In a statement, Mr Hussein said he reassured Prince Farhan of the safety of the kingdom's diplomatic mission.
The ministers also discussed developments in the region and their security implications, the statement added. Mr Hussein thanked Saudi Arabia for its efforts in enabling the return of thousands of Iraqis stranded by fight disruptions because of the war.
At least five drones were used in the attack on the US embassy, where the C-RAM air defence system engaged the projectiles. Iraqi security forces were sent to the scene.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani ordered an investigation into the “terrorist attacks” and pledged to track down the perpetrators.
“These criminal acts have serious repercussions for our country and undermine the government's efforts towards reconstruction and prosperity,” military spokesman Sabah Al Numan said.
The Prime Minister ordered “all security and intelligence agencies to track down and pursue the perpetrators” of the attacks, he added.
Six paramilitary fighters were killed and four injured in strikes on a PMF checkpoint in Al Qaim in western Iraq on Monday night. Shortly afterwards, strikes on another PMF base in the same area killed two fighters and wounded several others, the group said.
The strikes came in three waves, with the first hitting the base and subsequent attacks on medics trying to evacuate the wounded and dead, it said.
Mr Al Sudani condemned the “treacherous and cowardly” attack as a “blatant aggression of Iraq’s sovereignty”.
With the conflict escalating between the US and Iran and no indications of the war stopping, the situation in Iraq remains fluid. The Iraqi government has stressed the importance of ensuring its airspace and territory are not used for military actions attacking neighbouring countries.
