BAGHDAD: A “bombing” overnight Friday hit a military base in central Iraq housing army troops and pro-Iranian paramilitaries, two security sources said.
The explosion hit the Calso base, where former pro-Iranian paramilitary group Hashed al-Shaabi — now integrated into the regular army — is stationed, according to an interior ministry source and a military official.
The ministry of interior official said the attack had killed one person and wounded eight others, while the military source reported three Iraqi military personnel had been wounded.
In a statement, Hashed al-Shaabi confirmed the attack had inflicted material losses and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded.
Responding to questions from AFP, the sources would not identify who was responsible for the attack, or say whether it had been a drone strike.
“The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles,” said the ministry source.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
“The were explosions in the warehouses storing equipment,” said the military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. “A fire is still raging and the search for the injured is continuing.”
Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance of mainly Shiite armed groups formed to fight the Islamic State group, is now a part of Iraq’s security forces.
The attack on the pro-Iranian paramilitaries comes amid spiralling regional tensions over the war between Israel and Tehran-backed Palestinian militants Hamas.
On Friday, strikes blamed on Israel targeted a military base near Isfahan in Iran.
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