U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has refuted reports that the U.S. launched airstrikes in Iraq after an explosion at a military base killed a member of the Iraqi security forces.
CENCTOM said Friday night that it was “aware of reports claiming that the United States carried out airstrikes in Iraq today.” post “Those reports are not true. The United States is not conducting airstrikes in Iraq today.” on social media platform X.
An explosion at the Karsos military base, about 30 miles south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killed one member of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and injured eight others in the early hours of Saturday local time, the news agency said. Reuters.
The Iraqi military’s technical committee said it was investigating the cause of the explosion, and military commanders said it was an attack, Reuters reported. The military said it was investigating the incident.
According to Reuters, the Iraqi military said in a statement: “A report from the Air Defense Command confirms that there were no drones or fighter aircraft in the airspace of Babil before and during the explosion. This was confirmed through detection.”
Two security officials earlier said the explosion at the base was caused by an airstrike, Reuters reported.
The military base was manned by pro-Iranian militias. The PMF includes Iranian-backed groups that advance Iranian interests in the Middle East.
The explosion came days after Israel’s attack on Iran early Friday, following Tehran’s April 13 missile and drone attack. Iran said it was in retaliation for Israel’s airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria in early April, which left several Revolutionary Guard soldiers behind. Officer dies.
The Hill has reached out to CENCTOM for further comment.
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