Key facts
- At least 20 Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) fighters were killed and 32 wounded in US-Saudi attacks across Iraq.
- The strikes targeted PMF positions in seven provinces, including Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala.
- The PMF confirmed its Basra headquarters was targeted in an airstrike, resulting in two personnel injuries.
- US and Saudi fighter jets carried out precision strikes against Iran-backed groups in eastern Iraq.
- The strikes were reportedly in response to over 30 drone attacks attributed to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
- The targeted groups were accused of attacking US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
At least 20 Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) fighters were killed and 32 wounded in US-Saudi attacks across Iraq, the group said. The PMF stated that the initial death toll could increase as teams continue assessing the affected sites. The attacks targeted its positions in seven provinces: Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala. The state-sanctioned umbrella organisation, which largely comprises Shia armed groups, said the strikes also damaged buildings, vehicles and military equipment.
Explosions were reported at the headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq's southern Basra province. The PMF later confirmed its Operations Command headquarters in Basra came under an airstrike, resulting in two personnel injuries. CENTCOM and Saudi Arabia stated that US and Saudi fighter jets carried out precision strikes against weapons storage and logistical supply sites belonging to Iran-backed armed groups in several areas of eastern Iraq. The operation was conducted in response to more than 30 drone attacks that it alleged had been directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over the previous 72 hours. The statement added that the targeted groups were responsible for attacks against US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia accused the same parties of similar attacks on oil facilities, an accusation denied by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions. Iraq’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi, directed the competent security authorities to investigate the incident.
Earlier, on March 15, 2026, a massive explosion struck a PMF headquarters in the Al-Jaza’ir district of central Hillah, Babylon. The blast was powerful enough to shatter windows and cause tremors, with its shockwave felt over 50 kilometers away. Preliminary reports suggested the explosion targeted a logistical and administrative site used by the 40th Brigade (Kata’ib al-Imam Ali).
Separately, an explosion at a PMF headquarters on the outskirts of Baghdad late Tuesday killed three people and damaged nearby homes. A security source indicated the blast occurred inside a PMF facility that served as a workshop containing war remnants and explosive materials. The PMF Explosives Directorate confirmed the death of one member and injuries to two others, describing it as an “accidental explosion” caused by explosive remnants left behind by ISIS.