27 Fighters Martyred, 51 Injured in a US Attack on Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades Base West of Anbar
By Staff, Agencies
The media directorate of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi, confirmed reports on US guided drones targeting Sunday evening bases belonging to Brigade 45 in the al-Qaim district in al-Anbar province.
The bombing, according to the directorate, left dozens of Brigade 45 fighters martyred and injured.
Recent reports updated the toll of martyrs and injured, which climbed to 27 martyrs and 51 injured.
Iraqi media, meanwhile, reported that the Hezbollah Brigades Commander Abu Ali al-Khazaaly was martyred in the US strike, adding that the base was totally destroyed in the air raid.
According to a Hashd official, “On Sunday at 19:45, the leadership of the al-Jazeera Operations division of al-Hashd al-Shaabi in al-Anbar, and the bases of the Hashd’s Brigades 45 and 46, were subjected to an American drones aggression.”
At the time, the official added that the “evacuation of victims was still ongoing, in addition to extinguishing fires with the help of the district’s civil defense groups, as well as the Hashd’s medical groups.”
He further added that the toll of the aggression hit 19 martyrs and 35 injured, noting that several bodies of the martyrs were still under rubble.
Relatively, commander of the Hashd’s Brigade 18, Hamed al-Jazaeri, stressed that the importance of the areas controlled by the Hashd and thwarting the plot of US troops’ redeployment in Iraq pushed the American drones to target it, adding that Washington seeks to weaken security and control the western parts of Iraq.
Al-Jazaeri noted that the US wants to put an end to the Hashd’s presence, as it foiled America’s plot in the country.
The attack came after American officials claimed on Friday that a “US civilian contractor” had been killed in what they described as a rocket attack targeting an Iraqi military base housing US and Iraqi forces in the Arab country’s north.
Several US service members and Iraqi personnel were also wounded in the reported incident, Reuters added, citing a US-led military coalition, which has stationed itself in Iraq under the pretext of fighting Daesh [the Arabic acronym for terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group].
Shortly after the attack, the Pentagon issued a statement claiming responsibility of what it alleged are "defensive strikes" in Iraq and Syria against the PMU facilities.
The Pentagon added that it had targeted three locations of the Iraqi fighters in Iraq and two in Syria.
The Pentagon alleged that the raids targeted weapon storage facilities and command control locations, claiming that the bombings were in response to attacks targeting American forces in Iraq.
Hashd fighters played a major role in the liberation of Daesh-held areas to the south, northeast and north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, after the terrorists launched an offensive in the country, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks.
In November 2016, the Iraqi parliament voted to integrate Hashd al-Shaabi, which was formed shortly after the emergence of Daesh, into the military.
Over the past six months, Iraqi outposts accommodating American troops have come under at least 10 such rocket barrages, including the Friday launch.
Most recently, at least six Iraqi security forces were wounded after four Katyusha rockets hit a military complex that also houses US forces near Baghdad International Airport on December 9.
