Airstrikes On Iraq’s Shi’ite Kill Commander, 14 Others

Iraq’s Shi’ite paramilitary forces confirmed that an airstrike on their Anbar command headquarters on Tuesday killed 14 fighters, including operations commander Saad Daway al-Baiji. About 30 others were wounded, with several in critical condition.

In a statement, the PMF described the attack as “a treacherous American airstrike” and “a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” mourning “a group of heroic mujahideen who were martyred alongside the commander of Anbar operations.” The group said the deceased “passed as men as they lived, steadfast on the path of sacrifice, loyal to the covenant, and walking the path of martyrdom in defense of Iraq and its people.”

In a separate incident, two fighters from the 47th Brigade were wounded in an airstrike on the Al-Jazeera Operations Command in Jurf al-Nasr, Babil governorate. The same site had been struck four times on Sunday, wounding one member of a medical unit.

Tuesday’s strike is one of the deadliest single attacks on PMF personnel since the regional conflict began on February 28. Airstrikes have targeted PMF positions across multiple governorates, killing dozens in total. Neither the United States nor Israel has publicly claimed responsibility for the strikes.

The attacks come amid broader regional tensions following the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, with Tehran-backed groups launching retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq, while Israel has carried out attacks in Lebanon after cross-border fire by Iran-aligned Hezbollah.

Separately, the group Saraya Awliya al-Dam claimed that U.S. and NATO forces had completed a withdrawal from Victory Base near Baghdad International Airport, though this could not be independently verified.