Joint US-Saudi airstrikes this morning struck the 24th PMF Brigade headquarters in Diyala Province and the 30th Shabak Brigade headquarters near Mosul, killing 12 PMF personnel, according to initial reports. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has ordered an emergency meeting of the National Security Ministerial Council, with a statement expected afterward.
Joint US-Saudi airstrikes this morning at 05:22 Jerusalem struck the 24th Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Brigade headquarters in Diyala Province and the 30th Shabak Brigade headquarters near Mosul, killing 12 PMF personnel, according to an Iraqi security source cited by the Al-Arabi channel. The source also reported that the militias have evacuated their headquarters amid fears of further attacks. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani has ordered an emergency meeting of the National Security Ministerial Council, with a statement expected afterward.
The strikes are the latest in a rapidly escalating campaign that began early Wednesday with unconfirmed reports of Saudi strikes on Shiite militia targets in Baghdad. Within hours, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed joint operations against 30 pro-Iranian militia targets, later expanding to include eastern and northern Iraq. Separate strikes on Nineveh province killed 8 and wounded 4, as The Zioneer reported at 07:12 Jerusalem. The previous day, joint strikes hit 7 PMF sites across Iraq, killing at least 10 operatives, as The Zioneer reported. The source quality has evolved from a single analyst report to CENTCOM confirmations and Iraqi security sources, though the latest casualty figure remains single-sourced.
As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday, the campaign is a direct response to more than 30 drone attacks directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against Saudi energy infrastructure and US assets in the preceding 72 hours. The Iraqi government has repeatedly condemned US strikes on its soil, and the emergency meeting called by al-Sudani underscores the political tensions the operation generates.
Casualty figures for this morning's strikes remain unconfirmed by independent sources, and no official statement from US or Saudi Central Command has been issued regarding the specific targeting of the 24th and 30th brigades. The scope of damage to the headquarters is also unverified.
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