Iraqi Security Source: Hashd Al-Shaabi Base in Salahuddin Bombed by US Aircraft

The US launched an airstrike on a Hashd al-Shaabi (popular forces) base in Salahuddin province, causing a big fire in the region, an Iraqi security source said.

The Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh quoted the source as saying that the Tuesday fire at Salahuddin airbase occurred after the US attack on one of Hashd al-Shaabi bases.

He added that the US aircraft fired 4 missiles at Hashd al-Shaabi’s base in Salahuddin province, causing a big fire in the base.

Meantime, Vice-Speaker of the Iraqi parliament in Salahuddin province Mohammed al-Baldawi said on Tuesday that eyewitnesses in al-Balad airbase, one of the biggest Iraqi airbases, have seen the fight of a plane before the attack.

Hashd al-Shaabi positions in Iraq have been twice targeted by airstrikes in the past few weeks.

Last week, one person was killed and 29 others were wounded in an explosion in an arms depot of a military base of Hashd al-Shaabi forces in Southern Baghdad as a result of shrapnel thrown on the nearby residential areas.

After the attack, a senior member of the Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee said that preliminary results of investigations showed that an Israeli drone backed by the US had bombed Hashd al-Shaabi positions near Baghdad.

Karim al-Mahmadawi told the Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website on Sunday that investigations have proved that the blast in Hashd al-Shaabi’s arms depot in al-Saqar region in Southern Baghdad was caused by an Israeli drone with the US support.

He added that the American planes provided Israel with full intelligence about the target, and warned of more airstrikes by Israel against Hashd al-Shaabi bases in Iraq.

Al-Mahmadawi said that the US embassy in Baghdad would interfere in the case and will attempt to postpone declaration of final results similar to what it did about the case of spying on the commander of al-Anbar operations.