One killed in blast at Iraqi base housing pro-Iran group
Attack happened at military base in Babylon province housing regular Army, the police and members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces; Israel refrains from comment, U.S. denies role
One person was killed and eight wounded in an overnight explosion at an Iraqi military base housing a coalition of pro-Iranian armed groups, ocials said on Saturday.
The full details remain unclear hours after the blast hit the Kalsu military base in Babylon province south of Baghdad, where regular Army, the police and members of Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces, or Hashed al-Shaabi, are stationed.
It comes days after Iran launched an unprecedented assault on Israel which reportedly responded with a drone strike on the Islamic republic, amid tensions fuelled by the Gaza war.
The Iraqi security forces’ media unit said “an explosion and a re” hit the Kalsu base in the early hours of Saturday, leaving one person dead and eight wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Shortly after the explosion, the U.S. military said its forces were not behind a reported strike in Iraq.
“The United States has not conducted air strikes in Iraq today,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on social media platform X.
The Israeli Army said it “does not comment on information published in foreign media”.
In a statement, Hashed al-Shaabi said an “explosion” had in£icted “material losses” and casualties, without giving a number.
On Saturday morning, however, the Hashed issued another statement that referred to a meeting between its chief of sta and investigation committees “on the site that has been attacked”.
An Interior Ministry ocial had initially reported an “aerial bombing” on the site.
“The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles,” the source said.
An Iraqi military ocial said the overnight explosion had occurred in “warehouses storing equipment”.
Neither the Interior Ministry ocial nor the military ocial could say who may have been behind the alleged bombing.
The Hashed al-Shaabi is an integral part of the ocial Iraqi security apparatus under the authority of the Prime Minister.
It brings together several pro-Iran armed factions, some of which have also carried out dozens of attacks in Iraq and Syria against U.S. forces deployed as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.