Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, a militia targeted in a drone strike near the Syrian border on Aug. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Two members of an Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitary force say that a new drone attack killed one commander and wounded several others near the border with Syria.
By World Israel News and AP
On Sunday, members of an Iraqi militia announced that the latest drone attack on its troops and weapons killed six, including a field commander.
According to the Hezbollah-linked Al-Mayadeen news site, the strike hit Iraq’s al-Qaim region, near the Syrian border, and was carried out by an Israeli drone, Times of Israel reported.
Similar to previous recent strikes in Iraq, the Israeli military did not comment on the latest incident involving an Iranian-backed proxy militia in Iraq.
According to a statement issued by the Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is an Iranian proxy force, two unidentified drones killed Iraqi members of an Iran-backed paramilitary force called the Hezbollah Brigades.
The PMF statement said the attack occurred in Anbar province near the Qaim border crossing with Syria and targeted the Hezbollah Brigades faction, also known as Brigade 45.
Two officials from the Hezbollah Brigades, which is separate from the Lebanese group of the same name, confirmed the attack and said the vehicles were being used to transport weapons. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists about the matter.
Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades operate under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the PMF, which are supported by Iran.
If confirmed, it would be the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted PMF bases and weapons depot in Iraq. U.S. officials have said that Israel was behind at least one of them.
On Sunday, Israel released footage of a failed kamikaze drone strike on the Jewish state that Iranian-backed terrorists in Syria tried to mount. The IDF thwarted the drone attack using a preemptive strike that included firing missiles in the Damascus area.
Israel ultimately destroyed the drones before they could be launched.
According to the IDF, “Iran and the Syrian regime are directly responsible for the attempted attack.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented, “In a major operational effort, we have thwarted an attack against Israel by the Iranian Quds force and Shiite militias. I reiterate: Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces operate in every sector against the Iranian aggression.”
He added, “‘If someone rises up to kill you, kill him first,'” quoting a Talmudic mandate derived from the Bible.
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