At least three fighters from the pro-Iran militia group Popular Crowd, including an important commander, died in a drone attack against one of their headquarters, in eastern Baghdad, this Thursday (4).
The attack, still of unknown origin, killed Mushtaq Talib al Saidi, known by the code name Abu Taqua, commander of the 12th Brigade of the pro-Iran Al Nujaba movement – which operates under the aegis of the Popular Crowd –, and his right-hand man, as well as another member of the group, informed the EFE Agency a source from the Iraqi Interior Ministry, who added that the action also left five injured.
The Al Nujaba militia confirmed on its official Telegram account that Abu Taqua was killed in a “bombing with an American drone”, but so far no one has taken responsibility for the action.
The attack took place against a Popular Crowd logistical support headquarters, which is close to the Iraqi Interior Ministry complex, according to the sources.
The movement, financed by Iran, showed a burned car, in which the murdered members of the group were supposedly traveling, inside the logistics complex attacked by the Popular Crowd.
The Iraqi Army blamed the US-led international coalition for the deaths. “The Iraqi Armed Forces hold international coalition forces responsible for this unjustifiable attack against an Iraqi security agency that operates in accordance with the powers granted to it by the commander of the Armed Forces, which undermines all understandings between both forces,” Iraqi army commander Yahya Rasul's spokesman said in a statement.
“We consider that this is a dangerous escalation and an attack against Iraq, far from the spirit and letter of the mandate and the work for which the international coalition was created in the country”, said the note, also reproduced by the office of press of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani.
The Iraqi Army considered this action an “attack and a flagrant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and security”, adding that it is “no different from terrorist acts”.
At the beginning of December, at least five members of Al Nujaba were also killed in a drone attack of unknown origin, which targeted the group's headquarters in Kirkuk province, in northeastern Iraq.
Al Nujaba is also part of the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has launched attacks against targets with an American presence in the Arab country and Syria since war broke out in the Gaza Strip on October 7, due to United States support for Israel.
The attack comes just one day after more than 80 people were killed in a double explosion – still unclaimed – in the Iranian city of Kerman, when thousands of people took part in the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the assassination of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
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