PMF says fighter killed in airstrike in Anbar governorate

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces said Tuesday that one of its fighters was killed in an airstrike targeting a unit in Al-Qaim district in Anbar governorate.

In a statement, the PMF said, “At exactly 04:00 a.m. on Tuesday, the 45th Brigade within the Al-Jazeera Operations sector of the Popular Mobilization Forces was subjected to a U.S.-Israeli aggression in Al-Qaim district in Anbar governorate.”

The statement added, “This treacherous aggression resulted in the martyrdom of one of the heroes of the 45th Brigade in the Popular Mobilization Forces.”

The PMF said its forces “continue to carry out their security duties with steadfastness,” stressing their “high readiness and continued commitment to maintaining security and stability, despite the treacherous attacks targeting their positions.”

The reported strike follows a series of recent attacks on PMF positions across Iraq. The PMF said Monday that “two of its positions were targeted in what it described as a ‘U.S.-Israeli aggression,’ with no reported casualties,” adding that its units were hit in coordinated airstrikes in Nineveh and Tuz Khurmatu.

According to the group, earlier strikes included an attack near the Al-Qaim border crossing on April 4 that killed one fighter and wounded several others, as well as previous incidents in Rutba and Habbaniyah that caused multiple casualties. The PMF has said its positions have been targeted across seven governorates since Feb. 28, resulting in dozens of fatalities.