Iraq vows ‘legal action’ over strikes on PMF as attacks continue

BAGHDAD — Iraq will pursue legal action over attacks targeting Popular Mobilization Forces units, military spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said Wednesday, adding that such incidents “will not pass without a legal follow-up.”

“Iraq retains its legal right regarding the attacks that targeted some PMF units,” al-Numan said, stressing that the PMF is “a security institution operating under the command of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.” He said security agencies have developed plans to deal with various challenges, and called on media outlets to rely on official sources, noting that delays in issuing statements sometimes occur to verify information before release.

The vow comes as strikes on PMF positions have mounted steadily since the regional war began Feb. 28. Six fighters were killed and four wounded Monday in a strike on a checkpoint in Qaim district, Anbar, near the Syrian border — an attack the group attributed to Israel. Kataib Hezbollah announced the death of its security chief Abu Ali al-Askari earlier this week. The PMF says airstrikes have hit its positions across seven governorates, killing dozens of fighters. Neither Israel nor the United States has publicly claimed responsibility for any of the strikes.

Many of the targeted groups belong to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella — including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataib Imam Ali and Harakat al-Nujaba — and have claimed responsibility for drone and rocket attacks on alleged U.S.-linked targets while remaining formally incorporated into the PMI. Iran’s IRGC and allied militias have also carried out 307 attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the war began, killing eight people and wounding 51, according to Community Peacemaker Teams – Iraqi Kurdistan.