2024-04-22 08:14:49
Baghdad: A member of the Iraqi security forces was killed and six others were injured in a massive explosion at a military base in Iraq. The killed soldier is a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The PMF commander said it was an attack, while the Iraqi military said it was investigating and that there were no warplanes in the sky at the time. The blast took place at the Kalso military base, about 50 km south of Baghdad. It is the base of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). In a statement, the PMF said its chief of staff Abdul Aziz al-Mohammadwi visited the location and reviewed information from investigators.
Iraqi army denied airstrike
The Iraqi military said a technical committee was investigating the cause of the explosion and fire at the base, which occurred at 1 a.m. on Saturday. “Air Defense Command reports through technical efforts and radar detection have confirmed that there were no drones or fighter jets in the Babil airspace before and during the explosion,” the Iraqi military said in a statement. A video broadcast by Al Ahed TV, owned by the PMF faction, showed debris and a crater left by the explosion.
What are Popular Mobilization Forces
Popular Mobilization Forces are also known as People’s Mobilization Committee (PMC) and Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). It is an Iraqi state-sponsored military organization composed of approximately 67 different armed groups. There are about 230,000 fighters in the Popular Mobilization Forces, which are mostly Shia Muslim groups. But, these also include Sunni Muslims, Christians and Yazidi groups. The Popular Mobilization Units as a group were formed in 2014 and have fought in almost every major battle against ISIL.
Majority of Shia fighters in PMF
Many of the PMF’s core fighters, particularly Shia, trace their origins to the “Special Groups”, Iranian-sponsored Shia groups that have previously fought insurgencies against US and coalition forces, as well as sectarian conflict against Sunni jihadists and Ba’athist insurgents. Had fought. It has been called the new Iraqi Republican Guard after being completely reorganized in early 2018 by then-Commander in Chief Haider al-Abadi, who served as Prime Minister of Iraq from 2014 to 2018, who “adapted the situation to the Popular Mobilization fighters.” “Rules for
The number of people loyal to Iran is high
Some of its component militias that pledge allegiance to Iran are considered terrorist groups by some countries, while others have been accused of inciting sectarian violence. Pro-Khomeinist organizations in the PMF that pledge allegiance to the Iranian Rahbar include the Badr Organization, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Kata’ib al-Imam Ali, Saraya Khorasani, etc. During the 2019–2021 Iraqi protests, the pro-Iran faction of the PMF organization was responsible for killing and injuring a large number of protesters and activists. Khomeiniist paramilitary groups in the PMF have been engaged in political and ideological conflict with pro-Sistan and Sadrist PMF factions, and their growing rivalry has escalated into violent clashes. This schism led pro-Iranian factions to leave the PMF and led to the formation of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.