Airstrikes hit PMF positions in Kirkuk governorate, injuring two

KIRKUK — Airstrikes hit Popular Mobilization Forces positions in Kirkuk governorate on Tuesday morning, injuring two PMF members and causing material damage, according to local officials and a security source.

The strikes targeted the 16th Brigade in Bashir village in the Taza subdistrict and the 52nd Brigade in Amerli district. The first strike caused material damage only, while the second wounded two PMF members and heavily damaged nearby civilian property.

A security source told 964media that “the second attack targeted the headquarters of the 52nd Brigade in Amerli district and resulted in the injury of two PMF members and severe material damage that also affected the agriculture department and nearby homes.”

Amerli District Administrator Maytham Nouri announced the suspension of official working hours in schools and government offices for Tuesday, excluding security and service institutions, “to ensure the safety of citizens and teaching and administrative staff,” according to a statement from the district administration.

The strikes come as PMF positions across Iraq have faced repeated attacks in recent days. Earlier Tuesday, the PMF said “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,” adding that “this treacherous aggression resulted in the martyrdom of one of the heroes of the 45th Brigade.”

On Monday, the group also said “two of its positions were targeted in what it described as a ‘U.S.-Israeli aggression,’ with no reported casualties,” following coordinated strikes in Nineveh and Tuz Khurmatu.

The escalation comes amid a broader pattern of aerial attacks across Iraq, including drone and missile strikes in the Kurdistan Region in recent weeks targeting security sites and civilian areas, with some causing casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure.