At least 20 Iraqi paramilitary members killed in US-Saudi strikes

Iraq's paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said at least 20 of its members were killed early Wednesday in US-Saudi strikes targeting their positions across Iraq.

The attacks hit the PMF headquarters in the Iraqi provinces of Basra, Diyala, Salahuddin, Nineveh, and Karbala, an Iraqi Interior Ministry security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the PMF described the attacks as a highly dangerous escalation and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, adding that relevant authorities are monitoring the situation on the ground while damage assessments remain ongoing.

In a separate statement, the Nineveh Operations Command of the PMF said the headquarters of the 4th Battalion of the 30th Brigade and the Anti-Armor Directorate in the Nineveh Plain area, near northern Nineveh's provincial capital Mosul, were struck in the early morning by seven aerial strikes.

It said the attack killed eight members of the 30th Brigade, two members of the Anti-Armor Directorate, and injured six others.

The PMF is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization comprising dozens of paramilitary factions. It was formally integrated into the Iraqi armed forces following the campaign against the extremist Islamic State group.

Earlier in the day, the US Central Command confirmed the operation in a statement, saying that US and Saudi Arabian forces on Tuesday carried out precision air strikes against Iran-aligned militants in Iraq following a wave of drone attacks targeting US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: A Popular Mobilization Forces member takes security measures in Karbala, Iraq, July 7, 2026. /VCG)