Iraqi Cmdr.: US Accountable For Fatal Raid on Hashd Al-Sha’abi
Local Editor
An Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units [PMU] commander held the US-led coalition accountable for a recent deadly attack on its forces near the Syrian border, saying Daesh [the Arabic acronym for ‘ISIS/ISIL'] terrorists could not have been behind the assault as they are not in possession of smart weapons.
On August 7, the PMU's Sayed al-Shuhada Brigades said its military base in the al-Tanf region came under a smart bomb and artillery attack by the US-led coalition, which purports to be fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
More than 30 Iraqi volunteer forces, known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, were martyred in the assault.
Meanwhile, Daesh claimed responsibility for the incident. US Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the US-led forces, also rejected the allegations as "inaccurate" and denied conducting air attacks in that area at the time.
For his part, PMU spokesman Karim al-Nouri told al-Mayadeen TV channel that the attack could not have been conducted by Daesh terrorists since they are not in possession of any smart bombs as the ones that hit the Iraqi base.
He described the attack as intentional, saying it is impossible for the US military to have mistakenly targeted the Iraqi troops.
The US had, prior to the incident, threatened Hashd al-Sha'abi forces in the area, the commander said.
Speaking to Iran's Tasnim News Agency on Tuesday, Abu Ala al-Wella'ei, who commands the Brigades, said the attack was followed by a Daesh strike against the Hashd al-Sha'abi forces in the area.
The nature of the assault, he said, indicates a team-up between the US-led coalition and Daesh.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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