Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, in a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stressed the importance of ensuring that Iraqi airspace, territory, and waters are not used for any military action targeting neighboring countries or the region. The prime minister's media office stated this on Tuesday.
Sudani rejected "any attempt to drag the country into ongoing conflicts," as well as "violations of its airspace by any party." This statement came on a day when several strikes were launched across Iraq, including one that hit a group affiliated with the mostly Shia Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
The Iraqi government's security information cell confirmed that several PMF fighters were killed in a "bombing" in Kirkuk province, though it did not attribute the strike to anyone. The Iran-backed Kataib Imam Ali group, affiliated with the PMF, said four of its members were killed and 12 injured in air attacks in northern Iraq that it blamed on the US, claiming its fighters were killed in "American aggression."
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they hit a US base in Iraq's Kurdistan region, stating that "the headquarters of the invading US army at Al-Harir Air Base in the Kurdistan region was targeted with five missiles." This incident heightened concerns that Iraq is becoming a proxy battleground between Iran, the US, and Israel.
Since the start of the Middle East war, bases belonging to the PMF have been hit several times, including strikes against pro-Iran fighters. Baghdad International Airport, which houses a military base and a US diplomatic facility, as well as oil fields and facilities, have been targeted by drone and rocket attacks. The northern autonomous Kurdistan region, which hosts US troops, has been a main target of drone attacks, but these have been largely intercepted.
Al Jazeera's Assed Baig, reporting from Erbil, said, "All these attacks taking place overnight and early this morning highlight how increasingly Iraq is becoming a battleground in this widening" Middle East war. Late on Monday, Kurdish counterterrorism forces said US-led coalition forces had "downed three explosive-laden drones over Erbil," the capital of the Kurdistan region.
One drone fell near the UAE Consulate in Erbil, their statement added. A Kurdish security source told AFP that the drone was likely aimed at the US Consulate but did not reach its target and fell instead near the Emirati mission. In a statement on Tuesday, Kurdistan's Regional Government said it "strongly condemns that brutal, unprovoked attack that targets civilians and cultural institutions, and aims to undermine diplomatic efforts, which completely violate international laws."
Source: www.aljazeera.com