U.S. Attack on Medical Clinic Kills 7 Iraqi Soldiers

Seven members of Iraq’s armed forces have been killed in what was likely a US airstrike on a base shared with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of mostly Iran-aligned Shia militias targeted by the US since the start of the Iran war, Dave DeCamp reported for Antiwar.com.

Habbaniyah military base was reportedly hit a day earlier in a separate strike that killed 15 PMF fighters, including a senior commander.(Photo: Andy Dincher, Wikimedia Commons) 

The Iraqi Defense Ministry said the Habbaniyah military base and its medical clinic in western Anbar province were struck, with 13 additional soldiers injured. The ministry called the attack “a heinous crime” that violated “all international laws and norms.”

The same base was reportedly hit a day earlier in a separate strike that killed 15 PMF fighters, including a senior commander.

Last week, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine acknowledged that US Apache helicopters were conducting strikes against Iran-aligned factions in Iraq, though such operations have not been consistently disclosed.

While Israel has also carried out strikes in Iraq, such actions are more commonly attributed to US forces.

A strike resulting in Iraqi military casualties would mark a significant escalation, given that Iraq’s armed forces are backed by the United States.