Deadly strikes in Iraq blamed on US, Iran

BAGHDAD: An air strike in Iraq killed 15 members of a former paramilitary coalition, the deadliest attack on the group since the Middle East war began, as missile fire elsewhere killed six Kurdish security personnel. The Hashed al Shaabi coalition, part of Iraq's regular armed forces but which also includes brigades belonging to Iran-backed groups, blamed the strike that killed a commander and 14 other fighters on the United States. In Kurdistan region, a ballistic missile attack killed six peshmerga fighters, with the region accusing Iran of conducting the first such deadly attack on Kurdish security forces since the war began. Neither the United States nor Iran commented on the accusations.
In a statement, the Hashed al Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), said those killed in the strike targeting its fighters included a top provincial commander. It described the strike as a 'treacherous American attack that targeted the operation headquarters'.
Last week, the Pentagon acknowledged that combat helicopters had carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the current conflict. On Tuesday, the PMF urged 'political forces to take responsibility and confront these repeated American violations'. A security official said the building was coalition leader Faleh al-Fayyad's second home, adding that he was not present during the attack. — AFP