Iraq Orders Probe into Explosion at PMF Headquarters in Eastern Baghdad

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, on Saturday ordered the formation of a special investigative committee to determine the circumstances surrounding an explosion inside a headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in eastern Baghdad, as conflicting accounts emerge over the cause of the incident.

Al-Zaidi stressed the need to accelerate the investigation to establish the cause of the explosion and called for all necessary safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Earlier in the day, the PMF said that its personnel had brought under control a fire triggered by an explosion at a depot containing old and expired ammunition inside one of its facilities in eastern Baghdad.

The force said specialized and relevant committees had immediately begun investigating the details and causes of the incident, adding that the findings would be made public once the investigation was complete.

However, several eyewitnesses in the area told Kurdistan24 that the weapons depot inside the PMF compound had been struck by an aircraft, raising questions about whether the explosion resulted from an aerial attack rather than an accidental detonation of stored ammunition.

In a statement published later by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the PMF said preliminary investigations by the Interior Ministry’s forensic evidence team indicated that the explosion at its headquarters in eastern Baghdad resulted from an internal malfunction, with no indication that the facility had been subjected to an external attack or airstrike.

The statement offered a new account of the incident amid earlier eyewitness claims reported by Kurdistan24 that the weapons depot had been struck by an aircraft.

The incident left one person dead and five others injured, according to information reported by Kurdistan24’s Baghdad correspondent, Shivan Jabari.

Earlier, the PMF had said that an old and expired weapons and ammunition depot had exploded inside one of its headquarters in eastern Baghdad. The force initially reported that no casualties had been recorded and that security forces had brought the surrounding area under control.

Reporting from Baghdad, Jabari said a powerful explosion occurred between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday near al-Muthanna Bridge in eastern Baghdad, where a large ammunition depot is located.

The site is known as a PMF intelligence headquarters, he reported. The blast was powerful enough to shake parts of the capital, according to the correspondent.

Security forces cordoned off the surrounding area as dozens of fire engines and ambulances headed to the scene. Flames and thick smoke remained visible above the area as emergency crews responded.

The cause of the explosion has not been independently established. The investigation ordered by the commander-in-chief is expected to examine the circumstances of the incident and clarify whether it resulted from the detonation of stored ammunition or another cause.

The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), established in 2014 to help fight the Islamic State (ISIS), were formally incorporated into Iraq’s security forces and supposed to operate under the authority of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

However, the force comprises multiple factions with varying political and ideological affiliations, including Iran-backed groups, and its role within Iraq’s security structure has remained a subject of debate.

The investigation into Saturday’s explosion comes amid heightened scrutiny of security facilities and weapons depots, with determining whether the blast resulted from an accidental detonation or an external attack carrying significant implications for Iraq’s security and sovereignty.

Prime Minister al-Zaidi has also set a June 30, 2027, deadline for bringing all weapons under state control, underscoring his government’s stated commitment to strengthening state authority over Iraq’s security and military affairs.

The initiative aims to ensure that armed groups operate within the official security framework and that decisions on the use of force remain under the authority of the Iraqi state.

The deadline followed the end of the U.S.-led international coalition’s military mission in Iraq on Sept. 30, 2026, and replaced an earlier target for bringing weapons under state control.

However, several powerful Iran-backed factions have rejected the government’s timetable, raising questions about Baghdad’s ability to enforce the deadline and establish a state monopoly on the use of force.