The information is still far from complete. A “bombing” hit the Galso military base, in the Babylon province, in central Iraq, during the night from Friday to Saturday, security sources reported.
Initially, an official at the Ministry of the Interior reported the death toll of “one dead and eight injured” in an “aerial bombardment” that hit the Hachd al-Chaabi Armored Vehicles Directorate, a coalition of pro-Iran armed groups. “The explosion affected equipment, weapons, vehicles,” he said.
Hachd al-Chaabi confirmed in a press release “injuries”, without specifying the number, and “material losses” in an “explosion”. It affected its premises on the base, the organization said, adding that a “preliminary investigation” had been opened and investigators dispatched to the site. A military official reported three wounded among Iraqi army personnel. “There are explosions in the warehouses housing the equipment due to the bombing,” said this official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. He reported a fire which ravaged certain sectors of the base.
This Saturday, official sources assured that there was “no drone or combat plane” in the sky when the explosion rang out on the base.
Hashd al-Shaabi is an integral part of the official Iraqi security apparatus placed under the authority of the Prime Minister. But this institution brings together several pro-Iran armed factions, some of which have also carried out dozens of attacks, in Iraq and Syria, against American soldiers deployed as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.
The Americans assure that they are not responsible
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in Iraq. Questioned by AFP, a military official and an Interior Ministry official were unable to identify those responsible for this aerial bombardment. “The United States did not carry out airstrikes in Iraq today,” reacted the American Military Command for the Middle East (Centcom) on X, shortly after this announcement. Questioned by AFP, the Israeli army assured “not to comment on information published in foreign media. »
This development in Iraq comes in an explosive regional context and at a time when diplomatic efforts are continuing to avoid a conflagration in the Middle East, against a backdrop of war in Gaza and rekindled tensions between Israel and Iran.
Early Friday, drone strikes targeted the surroundings of a military base in the Isfahan region in central Iran. The attack was blamed on Israel, which, however, did not claim responsibility. Before these shots, Tehran carried out an unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel on April 13. It was a response to a previous attack which destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus and cost the lives of seven soldiers, including two high-ranking officers.