Iraq's National Security Council authorized the PMF to exercise the right of self-defence
Seven Iraqi soldiers killed in airstrikes on Popular Mobilization Forces site
Iraq’s defence ministry condemns the strike in Anbar as a blatant and serious violation of international laws and norms prohibiting attacks on medical facilities and personnel.
Wednesday 25/03/2026
Iraq's National Security Council authorized the PMF to exercise the right of self-defence
BAGHDAD - Seven Iraqi soldiers were killed and 13 others wounded in an airstrike on a site belonging to Iraq's Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) near an army medical centre in western Anbar, security sources and the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry said the strike, which took place at around 0900 local time, hit a military clinic and a nearby engineering unit. Rescue teams were still searching the site for possible additional casualties.
The ministry condemned the strike as a "blatant and serious violation" of international laws and norms prohibiting attacks on medical facilities and personnel, describing it as a dangerous escalation and calling for those responsible to be held accountable.
It reserved the right to respond in accordance with legal frameworks, the ministry said.
Iraq's National Security Council authorised on Tuesday the PMF, a mostly Iranian-backed coalition of Shiite armed groups, to exercise the right of self-defence and respond to any attacks targeting their positions, state media reported on Tuesday.
The green light from the National Security Council, chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, followed a deadly attack on PMF headquarters that killed at least 15 fighters, including a commander.