Iraqi security vehicles during a patrol in a desert area
PMF member killed, two injured in explosion at Baghdad explosives site
BAGHDAD — One member of the Popular Mobilization Forces was killed and two others were injured Tuesday in an accidental explosion during a technical operation in Baghdad’s Jurf al-Naddaf area, according to the force’s Explosives Disposal Directorate.
The directorate said the blast was caused by explosive materials left behind by ISIS militants that had been stored inside one of its facilities. “The situation is under control and necessary measures have been taken,” the statement said.
It extended condolences to the fallen member’s family and wished the wounded a swift recovery, reaffirming that its teams “continue their efforts to clear areas of terrorist remnants to protect the lives of citizens.”
Iraq remains heavily contaminated with explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices after decades of conflict, including the fight against ISIS.
The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that explosive remnants contaminate about 2,100 square kilometers of land across Iraq — an area roughly equal to 300,000 football fields — posing serious risks to civilians returning to their homes and farmland.
Between January and June 2025 in Nineveh governorate alone, demining teams cleared 7,401 explosive remnants and 399 improvised devices, according to the United Nations Mine Action Service. International organizations such as Humanity & Inclusion report that thousands of explosives left by ISIS have been destroyed across Kirkuk and Salah Al-Din between July 2023 and June 2024.