At least 21 people have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks across Iraq, marking one of the deadliest escalations since the outbreak of the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
An airstrike in western Iraq killed 15 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as Hashed al-Shaabi, including a senior commander.
The group, which operates as part of Iraq’s official security structure but includes Iran-backed factions, blamed the United States for the attack, describing it as a “treacherous” strike on its operational headquarters.
The strike targeted a base in Anbar Province, an area historically central to operations against extremist groups such as the Islamic State. It is the deadliest single incident involving the coalition since the current conflict began.
On another front, six Kurdish security personnel were killed and 30 others injured in a ballistic missile attack in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Regional authorities accused Iran of launching the missiles, calling the assault “hostile” and “treacherous.”
If confirmed, it would mark the first deadly missile strike on Kurdish forces since the war escalated.
Neither Washington nor Tehran has officially responded to the accusations.
The violence comes amid a widening regional crisis that began on February 28, when coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel targeted Iranian positions.
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Since then, Iraq has increasingly found itself caught in the crossfire, with pro-Iran armed groups launching attacks on U.S. interests, and retaliatory strikes targeting those factions.
The PMF, formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State and later integrated into Iraq’s security framework, has grown into a powerful military and political force.
Some of its Iran-aligned factions have claimed responsibility for multiple drone and rocket attacks on American assets across the region.
Last week, the Pentagon confirmed that U.S. combat helicopters had carried out strikes on pro-Iran groups in Iraq, underscoring the intensifying cycle of retaliation.
In response to the latest incident, the PMF called on Iraqi political leaders to confront what it described as repeated violations of the country’s sovereignty.
Despite maintaining close ties with Washington, Kurdish authorities have attempted to remain neutral in the broader conflict.
However, the latest missile strike highlights the increasing difficulty of staying removed from a war that continues to expand across borders.