Abu Ali Express reports that U.S. and Saudi forces conducted joint strikes overnight against seven positions of the Iranian-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militia across Iraq, killing at least 10 operatives. The operation targeted sites in Kirkuk, Nineveh, Karbala, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Basra, and Wasit, in response to more than 30 drone attacks directed by the IRGC against Saudi energy infrastructure over the past 72 hours.
Abu Ali Express reports that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia expanded their joint military campaign against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq overnight, striking seven Hashd al-Shaabi positions across the country. The operation killed at least 10 militia operatives, most of them at the Brigade 30 camp in Nineveh province. The strikes targeted sites in al-Zab (Kirkuk), Karbala, Amerli (Salah al-Din), Diyala, Basra, and Wasit.
The new report provides the most detailed picture yet of the operation, which the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced earlier this morning at 07:59 Jerusalem time. CENTCOM described the strikes as a joint precision operation against logistics and weapons storage sites in eastern Iraq, in response to more than 30 drone attacks directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over the previous 72 hours. An earlier report from Iraqi sources, noted by The Zioneer at 07:12, had placed the death toll at 8 in Nineveh alone.
The broader context includes two official statements from Saudi Arabia blaming Iraqi Shia militias for the recent attacks on its energy facilities, including the Abqaiq oil processing plant. The Houthi movement in Yemen had claimed responsibility for those attacks, but Saudi authorities pointed to Iraqi territory as the launch point. The IRGC has been coordinating the drone campaign from Iraq, using proxy forces to strike both U.S. personnel and Saudi infrastructure.
The casualty figures are based on militia-affiliated sources and have not been independently verified. The full extent of damage to the targeted sites remains unclear. The strikes represent a significant escalation in the U.S.-Saudi effort to degrade Iran's proxy network in Iraq.
9 developments
- DevelopingIraqi militia umbrella organization reports casualties from strikes, threatens 'Yemeni-style' revenge on Saudi Arabia
- DevelopingReports: Iranian-backed militias drone-strike US bases in northern Iraq
- StrongIranian Health Ministry Spokesperson Confirms 38 Dead, Over 400 Wounded in US Strikes
- StrongReport: 3 killed, 15 wounded in Sirik, southern Iran, from overnight attacks
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