A tragic incident occurred at a military base in Iraq, where one individual lost their life and at least eight others were injured due to an explosion. The location, Kalsu military base, is utilized by the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilisation Forces.
According to the PMF, this attack took place late on a Friday, targeting the base which is situated approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Baghdad in the province of Babil, also known as Babylon.
In the aftermath of a massive explosion, videos and images captured the event, which also ignited nearby trees, causing the fire to spread. On Saturday morning, footage from within the base revealed a significant crater and extensive damage to facilities and vehicles.
The Popular Mobilization Forces issued a statement, accusing “American aggression” of bombing the Kalsu military base, situated close to Iskandariya town.
The Iraqi military announced on Saturday that no drones or fighter jets were detected in the Babil region’s airspace prior to or during the incident. The United States military denied any involvement in the reported air strikes in Iraq. As of Saturday afternoon, no group had taken responsibility for the attack.
The Iraqi administration announced they are looking into the matter. Currently, Iraq’s Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, is in the United States. Additionally, the base accommodates both the Iraqi federal police and Iraqi military forces.
In Baghdad, Mahmoud Abdelwahed reported that we are attempting to reach the affected area was turned away and denied access to the injured. The Popular Mobilization Forces, a component of Iraq’s official security forces, described the incident as an “indiscriminate” attack. The victims included PMF members, Iraqi Ministry of Defence soldiers, and civilians near the military site at the time of the attack.
Abdelwahed mentioned that Camp Kalsu, previously under US control during the US-led invasion of Iraq, was transferred to the Defence Ministry in 2011. The camp houses an ammunition depot and storage facilities for tanks and other weaponry. The blame for the attack has been directed towards Israel, with accusations of their involvement. However, the Israeli military has not issued any comments on the matter.
Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi, the top official of the PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces), visited the base on Saturday. The Iraqi Resistance, an umbrella organization for armed forces opposing the US and Israel, declared they carried out a retaliatory attack early Saturday. They shared a video of a drone launch at night, claiming it targeted a crucial location in the Israeli city of Eilat.
Since the recent conflict in Gaza began in October, the group has conducted numerous assaults on US and Israeli interests across the region. However, they ceased most of these attacks since February, following an incident where three US soldiers were killed in a drone strike at a base near the border of Syria and Jordan.
On Saturday, the Palestinian armed group Hamas issued a statement, strongly denouncing the alleged attack on the base and considering it a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
Rich Outzen, an Atlantic Council fellow, informed that it is improbable for the United States to have initiated an attack, as they have been working to mitigate the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel in the region.
