Popular Mobilization Forces Evacuate Bases Across Iraq Amid Fears of US and Israeli Strikes
Security sources say PMF groups have evacuated multiple bases across Iraq due to fears of US and Israeli strikes, while Iraqi army units were deployed to fill resulting security gaps.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Armed factions within Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces have begun evacuating a wide network of military bases across the country, as fears mount over possible US and Israeli strikes targeting their positions.
Security sources revealed that, due to the possibility of anticipated strikes by the United States and Israel, groups affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have started evacuating a large number of their military bases.
According to security information, on Thursday evening, PMF armed groups began withdrawing from numerous bases and military facilities located along the borders of Nineveh province, as well as in central and southern Iraq.
Dilan Barzan, Kurdistan24 correspondent, reported citing a senior security source that the evacuation process has created security gaps in those areas.
To address the situation, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command has decided to deploy Iraqi army units temporarily to the locations from which PMF forces withdrew, in an effort to control the situation and prevent any potential security violations.
In another part of the information, sources stated that PMF bases had been subjected to continuous attacks for five consecutive nights, which contributed to a heightened state of alert and fear among the forces.
Regarding developments on the ground, the Kurdistan24 correspondent also revealed that earlier, a US military aircraft flying over the skies of Basra was targeted by armed groups and brought down.
According to information from security sources, unmanned aerial vehicles have been flying over the provinces of Salahaddin, Basra, Karbala, and Najaf for four consecutive nights, conducting close surveillance of the security situation and military movements in those areas.
As tensions intensify across Iraq, the withdrawal of PMF units and the deployment of Iraqi army forces signal growing security concerns amid the widening regional confrontation.