A soldier stands guard at the entrance to a hospital in central Iraq. People injured in the overnight explosion are being treated. (Qalar Jabbar/AFP)
- An explosion at an Iraqi military base early Saturday left one person dead and several others injured.
- This happened after Iran launched an attack on Israel amid tensions caused by the Gaza conflict.
- Iraq's Foreign Ministry expressed “strong concern” over the explosion in Iran and warned of “the risk of military escalation that threatens regional security and stability.”
One person was killed and eight others injured in an overnight explosion at an Iraqi military base housing a coalition of pro-Iranian militants, officials said Saturday.
Several hours have passed since the explosion at the Kars military base in Babylon province south of Baghdad, but the full details are still unclear. The base is home to regular army, police and members of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi).
This comes days after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel amid heightened tensions over the Gaza war, with Israel reportedly retaliating with a drone strike on the Islamic Republic.
The Iraqi security forces' media wing said an “explosion and fire” occurred at the Kars base early Saturday morning, killing one person and injuring eight others.
The Air Defense Command added in a statement that it had reported that “no drones or fighter aircraft were present in the airspace of Babylon province before or during the explosion.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Immediately after the explosion, the US military announced that it was not involved in the reported attack on Iraq.
“The United States is not conducting airstrikes in Iraq today,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on social media X, adding that reports that the U.S. military had conducted airstrikes were “not true.”
We are aware of reports claiming that the United States launched airstrikes on Iraq today. Those reports are not true. The United States is not conducting airstrikes in Iraq today.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 20, 2024
In response to an interview with AFP, the Israeli military said it “does not comment on information published in foreign media.”
Hashd al-Shaabi said in a statement that the “explosion” had caused “significant losses” and casualties, without giving figures.
The group said investigators had been dispatched to the scene.
But on Saturday morning, Hashed issued another statement, referring to a meeting between the chief of staff and the commission of inquiry “at the scene of the attack.”
Interior Ministry officials initially reported an “airstrike” at the scene.
“The explosion affected equipment, weapons and vehicles,” the official said.
An Iraqi military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, said the overnight explosion occurred in a “warehouse where equipment is stored.”
In response to questions from AFP, neither interior ministry nor military officials could say who was behind the alleged bombing.
Read | Iran's foreign minister ignores 'toy' drone attack, says link to Israel not proven
Hashd al-Shaabi is an integral part of the official Iraqi security apparatus under the authority of the Prime Minister.
It brings together several pro-Iranian armed groups, some of which have also carried out dozens of attacks in Iraq and Syria against U.S. forces deployed as part of the international anti-jihad coalition.
Hashed commander Abu Alaa al-Walai wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
We will retaliate against those behind this invasion. Those involved in this heinous crime will pay the price.
On Friday, an attack attributed to Israel targeted a military base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan.
The explosion occurred in response to an unprecedented attack on Israel by Iran over the weekend, in retaliation for the deadly attack on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
Iraq's Foreign Ministry on Friday expressed “strong concern” over the explosion in Iran and warned of “the risk of military escalation that threatens regional security and stability.”
“We must not allow this escalation to distract from what is happening in the Gaza Strip,” it said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited Washington this week and met with US President Joe Biden.
