At least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in joint U.S.-Saudi airstrikes against Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) sites across Iraq, the militia umbrella reported Wednesday. The operation, confirmed by U.S. Central Command, targeted facilities in seven provinces and was a response to more than 30 drone attacks against U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure over the previous 72 hours.
The joint U.S.-Saudi airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia targets in Iraq have escalated significantly, with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) now reporting at least 20 fighters killed and 32 wounded. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the operation, which struck PMF positions across seven provinces, describing it as a response to more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours that were directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The revised casualty toll, released hours after initial reports, reflects a wider scope of the strikes than first indicated.
The first reports of the joint operation emerged at 03:25 Jerusalem time Wednesday, when multiple Israeli news outlets — including Ynet and N12 — carried initial accounts of the strikes. Within minutes, CENTCOM confirmed the operation, and the PMF began publishing photographs of its members killed in the attacks. By 03:25, the militia umbrella organization also threatened 'Yemeni-style' revenge against Saudi Arabia. At that point, the death toll stood at least 10, as The Zioneer reported in its first bulletin. The PMF's updated count — 20 dead, 32 wounded — was released later Wednesday, along with CENTCOM's formal confirmation of the strikes.
The operation marks the most significant joint U.S.-Saudi military action against Iranian proxies inside Iraq, with Saudi Arabia directly participating in American strikes for the first time in this campaign. As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, Saudi Arabia had intercepted multiple drones launched from Iraq targeting its oil facilities, and the broader context includes a sustained kinetic confrontation between Washington and Tehran. The strikes targeted logistics and weapons sites used by IRGC-directed militias, according to CENTCOM.
The casualty figures remain preliminary and are sourced from the PMF itself, which has not provided independent verification of the toll. No breakdown of the wounded by province or affiliation has been released. Further updates are expected as the militias continue to assess the damage.
12 developments
- DevelopingIraqi militia chief: 110 headquarters of Hashed al-Shaabi attacked during war with Iran
- StrongUS and Saudi Arabia launched joint airstrikes against Iran-backed targets in Iraq, report says
- StrongIranian opposition journalist reports four Mosh-M members killed in US, Saudi strikes in Iraq
- StrongAl-Mayadeen: Israeli airstrikes kill 'several' in three Nabatieh towns
Source and signal
- Open-source intake