Airstrike Hits PMF Base Near Mosul, Officials Say
Officials confirmed that the attack struck a base in the Bartella area near Mosul and said there were no casualties resulting from the incident.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - An airstrike struck a base belonging to Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces in the Bartella area near Mosul on Monday, according to officials from the paramilitary coalition and a local official, who said the attack caused no casualties.
Officials from the Popular Mobilisation Forces, also known as the Hashed al-Shaabi, said the strike targeted a base in Bartella in Nineveh province in northern Iraq. One official from the coalition blamed the attack on the United States, according to comments reported by AFP.
A second source from the Popular Mobilisation Forces and a local official also confirmed that the strike had taken place in the Bartella area near Mosul, AFP reported.
Officials said the attack caused no casualties.
The strike occurred at a facility used by the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella organization that includes several armed factions operating across Iraq. The coalition was established in 2014 to fight jihadist groups and later became formally integrated into the Iraqi armed forces.
According to AFP, the base targeted in Monday’s strike belonged to the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition, which operates in several areas of northern Iraq including Nineveh province.
One official from the coalition attributed responsibility for the strike to the United States, though no immediate confirmation of involvement was reported in the AFP dispatch.
A second source within the Popular Mobilisation Forces confirmed that the base had been struck in the Bartella area near Mosul. A local official in the area also confirmed that an airstrike had taken place, according to the report.
Officials said the attack did not result in deaths or injuries.
The Bartella area lies east of the city of Mosul in Nineveh province. Authorities did not provide details about damage to facilities at the base or the type of aircraft or weapons used in the strike.
The officials cited in the report did not say how many strikes occurred or whether the installation was still occupied at the time of the attack.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces consist of numerous armed groups operating under a unified command structure established during the conflict against jihadist organizations that controlled large areas of Iraq beginning in 2014.
The alliance was formed after a call for volunteers to support Iraqi security forces in the fight against militant groups and later became part of Iraq’s formal security structure.
According to AFP, the coalition includes multiple factions, some of which maintain ties with Iran.
These Iran-backed groups operate brigades within the Popular Mobilisation Forces framework, although they have at times been described as acting independently.
The coalition’s structure allows individual brigades and factions to operate within a broader organization while maintaining separate leadership structures.
The airstrike reported on Monday occurred amid a broader regional escalation involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Since the start of the conflict in the Middle East, bases belonging to the Popular Mobilisation Forces have been struck on several occasions, according to AFP.
Those strikes have targeted armed groups linked to Tehran that operate within the coalition.
According to the report, several of those groups are also affiliated with an alliance known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq is described as a loose coalition of armed factions operating in the country.
The alliance has claimed responsibility for attacks targeting United States bases located in Iraq, according to AFP.
Officials cited in the report did not indicate whether the base struck in Bartella had been used by groups affiliated with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Authorities also did not specify whether the strike was connected to any recent attacks claimed by the alliance.
No additional details about the timing of the strike or the circumstances leading up to it were provided in the report.
Local authorities and officials from the Popular Mobilisation Forces confirmed only that the installation had been struck and that no casualties were recorded.
The Popular Mobilisation Forces operate bases and facilities across several Iraqi provinces, including Nineveh, Salahuddin, Diyala, and Anbar.
Some brigades within the organization have maintained operational roles in areas that were previously contested during the conflict with jihadist groups.
According to AFP, the coalition was created in 2014 during the fight against jihadist militants and later incorporated into Iraq’s security apparatus.
Its units now operate alongside other branches of the Iraqi armed forces under the authority of the state.
The report did not indicate whether Iraqi security institutions had issued an official statement regarding the strike.
Officials from the Popular Mobilisation Forces and local authorities were the sources confirming the attack in the Bartella area.
The officials cited said that while the installation had been struck, no personnel were killed or injured.
Authorities also did not report damage to nearby civilian infrastructure or residential areas.
The airstrike represents another reported incident involving installations used by armed factions affiliated with the Popular Mobilisation Forces since the start of the regional conflict.