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Iraq |
27 aug 2019
Members of the pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Sha’abi carry the coffin of their comrade Kazem Mohsen, known by his nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Dabi, during his funeral procession in Najaf, Iraq, August 26, 2019
An Iraqi parliamentary bloc representing the country’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), or Hashd al-Sha’abi, says the recent Israeli acts of aggression targeting the pro-government military force amount to “a declaration of war” on the Arab country.
In a statement released on Monday, the Fatah (Conquest) alliance held the United States accountable for the drone strikes on PMU bases over the past few weeks, which are widely reported to have been carried out by the Tel Aviv regime.
“While we reserve the right to respond to these Zionist attacks, we hold the international coalition, particularly the United States, fully responsible for this aggression, which we consider a declaration of war on Iraq and its people,” read the statement.
It also called for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, stressing that they are no longer needed there.
The latest such drone attacks struck Sunday a PMU convoy near the Iraqi town of al-Qa’im close to the Syrian border. It killed Kazem Mohsen, 45th PMU Brigade logistical support chief who was also known by his nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Dabi, and severely wounded another fighter.
The PMU said that the deadly strike was launched under “air cover over the area from American planes.”
On Monday, hundreds of Iraqis held a funeral for the victim, marching behind a banner with the words, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
Some of the mourners trampled on a US flag as they marched.
Iraqi Lawmaker Ahmed al-Asadi said the parliament would hold an emergency meeting in the coming days “to discuss this issue and take the appropriate decisions.”
Separately on Monday, Iraqi President Barham Saleh hosted a meeting with Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi and PMU leaders regarding the aerial assaults.
A statement issued after the meeting described the attacks as a “blatant act of aggression” meant to drag the PMU away from its role of eradicating remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
“These attacks are a blatant, hostile act that target Iraq,” it said, adding, “Iraqi sovereignty and the well-being of its people are a red line.”
It further stressed that the Iraqi government would take all necessary steps to “deter aggressors and defend Iraq.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf expressed Baghdad’s readiness to take all available diplomatic and legal actions to prevent the violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Israeli attacks began on July 19 when a drone dropped explosives onto a PMU base near the town of Amerli, in Salahuddin Province, killing at least one resistance fighter and injuring four others.
Unnamed American officials confirmed that Israel had been behind the attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hinted on Thursday at possible Israeli strikes in Iraq.
An Iraqi parliamentary bloc representing the country’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), or Hashd al-Sha’abi, says the recent Israeli acts of aggression targeting the pro-government military force amount to “a declaration of war” on the Arab country.
In a statement released on Monday, the Fatah (Conquest) alliance held the United States accountable for the drone strikes on PMU bases over the past few weeks, which are widely reported to have been carried out by the Tel Aviv regime.
“While we reserve the right to respond to these Zionist attacks, we hold the international coalition, particularly the United States, fully responsible for this aggression, which we consider a declaration of war on Iraq and its people,” read the statement.
It also called for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, stressing that they are no longer needed there.
The latest such drone attacks struck Sunday a PMU convoy near the Iraqi town of al-Qa’im close to the Syrian border. It killed Kazem Mohsen, 45th PMU Brigade logistical support chief who was also known by his nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Dabi, and severely wounded another fighter.
The PMU said that the deadly strike was launched under “air cover over the area from American planes.”
On Monday, hundreds of Iraqis held a funeral for the victim, marching behind a banner with the words, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
Some of the mourners trampled on a US flag as they marched.
Iraqi Lawmaker Ahmed al-Asadi said the parliament would hold an emergency meeting in the coming days “to discuss this issue and take the appropriate decisions.”
Separately on Monday, Iraqi President Barham Saleh hosted a meeting with Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi and PMU leaders regarding the aerial assaults.
A statement issued after the meeting described the attacks as a “blatant act of aggression” meant to drag the PMU away from its role of eradicating remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
“These attacks are a blatant, hostile act that target Iraq,” it said, adding, “Iraqi sovereignty and the well-being of its people are a red line.”
It further stressed that the Iraqi government would take all necessary steps to “deter aggressors and defend Iraq.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf expressed Baghdad’s readiness to take all available diplomatic and legal actions to prevent the violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Israeli attacks began on July 19 when a drone dropped explosives onto a PMU base near the town of Amerli, in Salahuddin Province, killing at least one resistance fighter and injuring four others.
Unnamed American officials confirmed that Israel had been behind the attacks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also hinted on Thursday at possible Israeli strikes in Iraq.
26 aug 2019
This file picture shows an Israeli IAI Heron medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle in flight.
Members of pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, have reportedly intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle as it was flying in the skies over a region in the country’s northern province of Nineveh.
The media bureau of the volunteer forces said in a statement that Hashd al-Sha’abi forces shot down the unidentified drone as it was on a reconnaissance mission, and flying for more than 20 minutes over one of their command centers there.
The statement added that the volunteer forces brought down the unmanned aerial vehicle with anti-aircraft guns after ensuring that the aircraft was not of Iraqi origin.
The development came only a few hours after Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, President Barham Salih and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi held a meeting in the capital Baghdad with senior commanders of the Hashd al-Sha’abi to discuss measures aimed at protection of Iraq’s security and sovereignty.
They stated that the latest assaults on Hashd al-Sha’abi positions were meant to marginalize the volunteer forces, and strip them of the role in the fight against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
On Sunday, the Iraqi Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported that the air defenses of the 50th Brigade of Hashd al-Sha’abi had shot down a spy drone while it was approaching PMU bases in Nineveh.
It was not immediately clear who was operating the drone.
The Iraqi pro-government forces had shot down another spy drone on August 22, as it was flying in the vicinity of the 12th Brigade of Hashd al-Sha’abi and over the outskirts of Baghdad.
Also on Monday, Iraq's military said it has launched an investigation into a purported Israeli strike that killed two Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters near the town of al-Qa’im close to the country's western border with Syria.
“An investigation is ongoing now to determine what happened with the strike,” the spokesman for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul, told AFP.
Sayf al-Badr, spokesman of the Iraqi Health Ministry, said in a statement that at least one person was killed and 29 others were wounded in a powerful explosion, which rocked a military base in southern Baghdad on August 12.
An unnamed source from Iraq’s Interior Ministry said an ammunition warehouse exploded inside a federal police military base, named Falcon, in Owerij area near the southern district of Doura.
Arabic-language al-Ahad TV television network reported on July 19 that a drone had dropped explosives onto a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Units near the town of Amerli, located about 170 kilometers north of the capital, in the early hours of the day, killing at least one PMU fighter and injuring four others.
Video footage broadcast by Iraqi channels showed a blaze burning at the site and plumes of thick smoke billowing. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Additionally, the Iraqi al-Etejah television network reported that an American B350 reconnaissance plane had flown over the area a few days earlier.
The Israeli regime has a record of attacking the forces fighting Daesh in Syria.
In June 2018, Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters came under attack in Syria’s border town of al-Hari, in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, as they were chasing Daesh terrorists out of the area.
Both the Syrian government and Hashd al-Sha’abi declared back then that the attack near the Iraqi-Syrian border had been deliberate and could only have been carried out by either Israel or the United States.
Members of pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, have reportedly intercepted and targeted an unmanned aerial vehicle as it was flying in the skies over a region in the country’s northern province of Nineveh.
The media bureau of the volunteer forces said in a statement that Hashd al-Sha’abi forces shot down the unidentified drone as it was on a reconnaissance mission, and flying for more than 20 minutes over one of their command centers there.
The statement added that the volunteer forces brought down the unmanned aerial vehicle with anti-aircraft guns after ensuring that the aircraft was not of Iraqi origin.
The development came only a few hours after Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, President Barham Salih and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi held a meeting in the capital Baghdad with senior commanders of the Hashd al-Sha’abi to discuss measures aimed at protection of Iraq’s security and sovereignty.
They stated that the latest assaults on Hashd al-Sha’abi positions were meant to marginalize the volunteer forces, and strip them of the role in the fight against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
On Sunday, the Iraqi Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network reported that the air defenses of the 50th Brigade of Hashd al-Sha’abi had shot down a spy drone while it was approaching PMU bases in Nineveh.
It was not immediately clear who was operating the drone.
The Iraqi pro-government forces had shot down another spy drone on August 22, as it was flying in the vicinity of the 12th Brigade of Hashd al-Sha’abi and over the outskirts of Baghdad.
Also on Monday, Iraq's military said it has launched an investigation into a purported Israeli strike that killed two Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters near the town of al-Qa’im close to the country's western border with Syria.
“An investigation is ongoing now to determine what happened with the strike,” the spokesman for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, Brigadier General Yahya Rasoul, told AFP.
Sayf al-Badr, spokesman of the Iraqi Health Ministry, said in a statement that at least one person was killed and 29 others were wounded in a powerful explosion, which rocked a military base in southern Baghdad on August 12.
An unnamed source from Iraq’s Interior Ministry said an ammunition warehouse exploded inside a federal police military base, named Falcon, in Owerij area near the southern district of Doura.
Arabic-language al-Ahad TV television network reported on July 19 that a drone had dropped explosives onto a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Units near the town of Amerli, located about 170 kilometers north of the capital, in the early hours of the day, killing at least one PMU fighter and injuring four others.
Video footage broadcast by Iraqi channels showed a blaze burning at the site and plumes of thick smoke billowing. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Additionally, the Iraqi al-Etejah television network reported that an American B350 reconnaissance plane had flown over the area a few days earlier.
The Israeli regime has a record of attacking the forces fighting Daesh in Syria.
In June 2018, Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters came under attack in Syria’s border town of al-Hari, in the eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, as they were chasing Daesh terrorists out of the area.
Both the Syrian government and Hashd al-Sha’abi declared back then that the attack near the Iraqi-Syrian border had been deliberate and could only have been carried out by either Israel or the United States.
A damaged car of the Popular Mobilization Units is seen after a strike by an unmanned aircraft close to the Syrian border in Anbar, Iraq, on August 25, 2019
The spokesman for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's administration has slammed Israel’s recent attacks against targets in a number of regional countries, saying Tel Aviv will pay “a high price” for its acts of aggression against sovereignty of those countries.
Speaking to reporters during his weekly briefing on Monday, Ali Rabiei said, “During the preceding month, the Zionist regime (Israel) became so outrageous as to take pride in its (regime’s) acts of aggression, though in an untrue and exaggerated manner.”
“Repeated acts of aggression against Iraq are black stains on track records of this regime and we condemn any aggression against sovereignty of regional countries. Israel will pay a high price for its actions,” he said.
He noted that the secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, during his speech on Sunday, took a very important stance on the Israeli regime's recent acts of aggression.
"These remarks send a clear and severe message to the Zionist regime that its brazen acts of aggression will not go unanswered," Rabiei pointed out.
In his televised speech broadcast live from the southern Lebanese capital city of Beirut, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said fighters from the movement will counter any further violation of the Lebanese airspace by Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles, warning the Tel Aviv regime to immediately cease such breaches.
“Hezbollah will endeavor to down all Israeli drones, which may violate Lebanon’s airspace,” he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rabiei emphasized that the Tel Aviv regime should not take advantage of regional nations’ patience and said, "[Israel's] repeated acts of aggression against Iraq and Syria have been added to its black record of aggression against the Palestinian people."
Stressing that regional nations' patience is running out, the Iranian government spokesman said that the Islamic Republic would support the Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese peoples' right to self-defense.
Iraq’s pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, said on Monday that Israel was behind a recent deadly drone attack that killed two people near the Syrian border.
Two unmanned aircraft carried out air raids on an area about 15 km (9 miles) away from Iraq's border with Syria on Sunday.
"As part of the string of Zionist attacks on Iraq, the evil Israeli crows have returned to target the Hashd al-Sha’abi, this time with two drones inside Iraqi territory," the group said in a statement.
The air raids are the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted positions of Hashd al-Sha’abi forces across Iraq over the past months.
The attacks began on July 19 when a drone dropped explosives onto a PMU base near the town of Amerli, in Salahuddin Province, killing at least one resistance fighter and injuring four others.
The fourth attack came last week, when a PMU ammunition depot exploded near the capital Baghdad. Hashd al-Sha'abi commanders blamed Israel and blasted Americans for allowing the attacks despite having full control over the Iraqi airspace.
The spokesman for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's administration has slammed Israel’s recent attacks against targets in a number of regional countries, saying Tel Aviv will pay “a high price” for its acts of aggression against sovereignty of those countries.
Speaking to reporters during his weekly briefing on Monday, Ali Rabiei said, “During the preceding month, the Zionist regime (Israel) became so outrageous as to take pride in its (regime’s) acts of aggression, though in an untrue and exaggerated manner.”
“Repeated acts of aggression against Iraq are black stains on track records of this regime and we condemn any aggression against sovereignty of regional countries. Israel will pay a high price for its actions,” he said.
He noted that the secretary general of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement, during his speech on Sunday, took a very important stance on the Israeli regime's recent acts of aggression.
"These remarks send a clear and severe message to the Zionist regime that its brazen acts of aggression will not go unanswered," Rabiei pointed out.
In his televised speech broadcast live from the southern Lebanese capital city of Beirut, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said fighters from the movement will counter any further violation of the Lebanese airspace by Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles, warning the Tel Aviv regime to immediately cease such breaches.
“Hezbollah will endeavor to down all Israeli drones, which may violate Lebanon’s airspace,” he added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rabiei emphasized that the Tel Aviv regime should not take advantage of regional nations’ patience and said, "[Israel's] repeated acts of aggression against Iraq and Syria have been added to its black record of aggression against the Palestinian people."
Stressing that regional nations' patience is running out, the Iranian government spokesman said that the Islamic Republic would support the Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese peoples' right to self-defense.
Iraq’s pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, said on Monday that Israel was behind a recent deadly drone attack that killed two people near the Syrian border.
Two unmanned aircraft carried out air raids on an area about 15 km (9 miles) away from Iraq's border with Syria on Sunday.
"As part of the string of Zionist attacks on Iraq, the evil Israeli crows have returned to target the Hashd al-Sha’abi, this time with two drones inside Iraqi territory," the group said in a statement.
The air raids are the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted positions of Hashd al-Sha’abi forces across Iraq over the past months.
The attacks began on July 19 when a drone dropped explosives onto a PMU base near the town of Amerli, in Salahuddin Province, killing at least one resistance fighter and injuring four others.
The fourth attack came last week, when a PMU ammunition depot exploded near the capital Baghdad. Hashd al-Sha'abi commanders blamed Israel and blasted Americans for allowing the attacks despite having full control over the Iraqi airspace.
A handout picture released by the Hashd al-Sha'abi shows the wreckage of a vehicle at the site of a drone attack near Iraq's western border with Syria on August 25, 2019
Iraq’s pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, says Israel was behind a recent deadly drone attack that killed two people near the Syrian border.
Two unmanned aircraft carried out air raids on an area about 15 km (9 miles) away from Iraq's border with Syria on Sunday.
"As part of the string of Zionist attacks on Iraq, the evil Israeli crows have returned to target the Hashd al-Sha’abi, this time with two drones inside Iraqi territory," the group said in a statement.
The statement added that the attack left one fighter dead and another seriously wounded. Initial reports said two fighters were killed in the attack, which was carried out under American air cover.
"This blatant attack came with air cover over the area from American planes, in addition to a large balloon to monitor the area near the site of the incident," it said.
Reports said that one of the Sunday’s airstrikes hit the headquarters of a Hashd al-Sha’abi unit, while the other struck a convoy of cars leaving the building.
The air raids are the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted positions of the Hashd al-Sha’abi forces across Iraq over the past months.
The attacks began on July 19 when a drone dropped explosives onto a PMU base near the town of Amerli, in Salahuddin Province, killing at least one resistance fighter and injuring four others.
The fourth attack came last week, when a PMU ammunition depot exploded near the capital Baghdad. Hashd al-Sha'abi commanders soon pointed the finger at Israel and blasted American for allowing the attacks despite having full control over the Iraqi airspace.
The Pentagon has denied involvement, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Thursday at possible Israeli strikes in Iraq.
"We are operating – not just if needed, we are operating in many areas against a state (Iran) that wants to annihilate us. Of course I gave the security forces a free hand and instructed them to do anything necessary to thwart Iran's plans," he said when asked whether Tel Aviv was considering operations in Iraq.
Unnamed American officials confirmed on Friday that Israel was indeed behind the attacks.
Kata'ib Hezbollah, another prominent Iraqi resistance group, said the recent airstrikes on the positions of PMU are an attempt by the US and Israel to revive the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the Arab country.
In an interview with Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Ahed news website published on Friday, Kata'ib Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Muhyee said the air raids on Hashd al-Sha’abi positions are actually meant to weaken Iraqi resistance factions, empty their weapons stores and end their role in maintaining security in Iraq.
'Final warning'
Last week, Hashd al-Sha'abi 45th brigade issued a "final warning" to the US over the attacks.
"We issue a final warning to the American enemy that any new targeting of any Iraqi positions will be met with a tough, categorical response," it said in a statement.
Forces from the PMU shot down a spy drone in Iraq’s northern Province of Nineveh on Sunday.
In January, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted during a visit to Iraq that the Israeli regime could launch attacks against Hashd al-Sha’abi forces, who played a key role in the Iraqi army’s counter-terrorism battles against the Daesh terror group and helped the government to rid the country of the Takfiri outfit in late 2017.
Pompeo was reported to have made it clear to Iraqi officials at a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi that Washington would not react to possible Israeli attacks against Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters.
Abdul-Mahdi expressed concern about the statement and warned Pompeo that such actions by Israel would have grave consequences, Russia’s RT Arabic television news network reported back then.
Iraq’s pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi, says Israel was behind a recent deadly drone attack that killed two people near the Syrian border.
Two unmanned aircraft carried out air raids on an area about 15 km (9 miles) away from Iraq's border with Syria on Sunday.
"As part of the string of Zionist attacks on Iraq, the evil Israeli crows have returned to target the Hashd al-Sha’abi, this time with two drones inside Iraqi territory," the group said in a statement.
The statement added that the attack left one fighter dead and another seriously wounded. Initial reports said two fighters were killed in the attack, which was carried out under American air cover.
"This blatant attack came with air cover over the area from American planes, in addition to a large balloon to monitor the area near the site of the incident," it said.
Reports said that one of the Sunday’s airstrikes hit the headquarters of a Hashd al-Sha’abi unit, while the other struck a convoy of cars leaving the building.
The air raids are the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted positions of the Hashd al-Sha’abi forces across Iraq over the past months.
The attacks began on July 19 when a drone dropped explosives onto a PMU base near the town of Amerli, in Salahuddin Province, killing at least one resistance fighter and injuring four others.
The fourth attack came last week, when a PMU ammunition depot exploded near the capital Baghdad. Hashd al-Sha'abi commanders soon pointed the finger at Israel and blasted American for allowing the attacks despite having full control over the Iraqi airspace.
The Pentagon has denied involvement, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Thursday at possible Israeli strikes in Iraq.
"We are operating – not just if needed, we are operating in many areas against a state (Iran) that wants to annihilate us. Of course I gave the security forces a free hand and instructed them to do anything necessary to thwart Iran's plans," he said when asked whether Tel Aviv was considering operations in Iraq.
Unnamed American officials confirmed on Friday that Israel was indeed behind the attacks.
Kata'ib Hezbollah, another prominent Iraqi resistance group, said the recent airstrikes on the positions of PMU are an attempt by the US and Israel to revive the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the Arab country.
In an interview with Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Ahed news website published on Friday, Kata'ib Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Muhyee said the air raids on Hashd al-Sha’abi positions are actually meant to weaken Iraqi resistance factions, empty their weapons stores and end their role in maintaining security in Iraq.
'Final warning'
Last week, Hashd al-Sha'abi 45th brigade issued a "final warning" to the US over the attacks.
"We issue a final warning to the American enemy that any new targeting of any Iraqi positions will be met with a tough, categorical response," it said in a statement.
Forces from the PMU shot down a spy drone in Iraq’s northern Province of Nineveh on Sunday.
In January, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted during a visit to Iraq that the Israeli regime could launch attacks against Hashd al-Sha’abi forces, who played a key role in the Iraqi army’s counter-terrorism battles against the Daesh terror group and helped the government to rid the country of the Takfiri outfit in late 2017.
Pompeo was reported to have made it clear to Iraqi officials at a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi that Washington would not react to possible Israeli attacks against Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters.
Abdul-Mahdi expressed concern about the statement and warned Pompeo that such actions by Israel would have grave consequences, Russia’s RT Arabic television news network reported back then.
