Live updates: Follow the latest news on US-Iran war
An air strike hit a base of Iraq's paramilitary Popular Mobilisation Forces south of Baghdad, hours after the US announced increased co-operation with the Iraqi government to prevent attacks by armed groups inside and outside the country.
The “aggressive and criminal” overnight strike hit the headquarters of Asaib Ahl Al Haq faction in the town of Aziziya, a member of Parliament affiliated with the group, Mahasin Al Dulaimi, said on Saturday.
The group is one of several powerful Iran-backed militias in the PMF, which is part of Iraq's security forces.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this brutal attack, which represents a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region,” Ms Al Dulaimi said.
The PMF has not commented on the attack, and it was not immediately clear whether there were casualties.
Shortly after the US and Israel began launching attacks on Iran on February 28, air strikes hit a militia base south of Baghdad, killing and wounding fighters. That prompted the militias, who had publicly stayed out of the 12-day war in Iran last June, to join the fight in solidarity with Iran.
The militias are suspected to have carried out a handful of unclaimed drone attacks during the war in June, but this time they have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on US-linked targets in Iraq, including the US embassy in Baghdad; a logistics hub at Baghdad International Airport that is used by US military personnel; as well as the Harir Air Base, which houses American troops, and the US consulate in Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan Region.
Residents in the Kurdistan region reported hearing at least two explosions on Saturday, one near Erbil’s international airport and another in the city of Dohuk. There was no immediate statement from local authorities.
In the south, a drone crashed inside the Majnoon oilfield in Basra province but did not explode and caused no casualties or material damage, the Iraqi Defence Ministry said.
Iraqi militias have also launched attacks on US troops in Jordan, Kuwait and other countries, prompting the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan to urge Iraq to “take the necessary measures” to halt them, in a joint statement issued on Wednesday.
About 100 fighters have been killed and 300 wounded in attacks across Iraq since the current war in Iran began, according to official statements. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.
The latest attack in Aziziya came after a joint statement by the US and Iraq to announce the formation of a joint co-ordination committee to enhance co-operation against terrorist threats, following a strategic partnership meeting.
"The Iraqi and American sides agreed on intensifying co-operation to prevent terrorist attacks,” the Joint Operation Command said in a statement late on Friday.
The committee aims to ensure Iraq is not used as a launch pad for any aggression against its people, security forces, or strategic assets, as well as the US diplomatic mission and the US-led International Coalition, it said.
The US and Iraq reaffirmed their commitment to “keeping Iraq out of the continuing military regional conflict, respecting its sovereignty,” it added.
Both sides will also increase co-ordination on counterterror efforts led by Iraq. "We'll prioritise Iraqi-led actions to achieve shared goals, maintaining stability and sovereignty," the statement said.
