Unidentified Aircraft Kill At Least 30 at Popular Mobilization Forces Headquarters in Western Iraq

Unidentified aircraft carried out large-scale airstrikes on the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) headquarters in Akashat, western Anbar, killing dozens and injuring many more; reporting on the death toll differs between outlets.

“At least 30 killed in strikes on PMF headquarters in western Iraq Airstrikes target 3 sites of PMF’s 19th Brigade in Akashat town, local media reports ISTANBUL At least 30 people were killed and dozens injured in airstrikes targeting headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar in western Iraq on Thursday, Iraqi media reported”

Anadolu Ajansı

Anadolu Ajansı reported that "At least 30 people were killed and dozens injured in airstrikes targeting headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar in western Iraq on Thursday, Iraqi media reported."

Anadolu Ajansı

TRT World similarly said "At least 30 people were killed, and dozens were injured in air strikes targeting the headquarters of the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) in Anbar in western Iraq, local media reported."

Iraqi News provided a higher figure for the Akashat strikes, reporting that the bombardment struck medical and support facilities "killing at least 35 fighters and wounding approximately 90 others," and described the attackers as "unidentified aircraft struck three sites belonging to the PMF’s 19th Brigade."

These differences show immediate casualty counts remain unclear across reports.

The strikes specifically hit multiple sites of the PMF’s 19th Brigade in the Akashat area of the Al-Qaim district, with reports naming the targeted facilities and describing continued aircraft activity after the bombardment.

Both Anadolu Ajansı and TRT World said the raids "targeted at least three sites of the PMF’s 19th Brigade in the town of Akashat in western Anbar,"

Daily Sabah

Iraqi News detailed that "the bombardment hit the brigade’s medical unit, the second regiment headquarters, and a logistical support facility."

Iraqi News also reported that aircraft "continued to circle the area after the initial strikes" and that "additional strikes targeted ambulance teams and rescue workers attempting to evacuate the wounded from the flattened buildings," indicating intense and sustained operations around the sites.

Separate strikes were reported elsewhere and the incident fits into a pattern of recent attacks on PMF/PMU positions across Iraq.

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Iraqi News

Iraqi News said "a separate airstrike hit a PMF Special Division headquarters in Kirkuk" and confirmed "that at least four members of the force were killed and six others were wounded in the strike."

TRT World documented earlier strikes in the week and days prior, noting "On Monday, an air strike hit PMU positions east of Mosul... Earlier, on March 4, two drones targeted two PMU headquarters in northern Mosul and on March 6, additional air strikes struck PMU sites in Mosul and north of Baghdad."

Anadolu Ajansı and TRT World also placed the attack within the wider regional escalation, saying the strike "came as the US and Israel continued airstrikes on Iran that began Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people and injuring over 10,000 others."

Political and militia reactions were swift: Iraqi officials and PMF-affiliated groups condemned the strikes and parties on the ground pointed fingers while the government assessed options.

TRT World reported that "Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani condemned the attacks on the group."

TRT World

Iraqi News added that "National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji condemned the strikes in the strongest terms" and that "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is reportedly monitoring the situation closely as the government assesses the legal and political repercussions of these unauthorized military operations on Iraqi soil."

Meanwhile, Iraqi News also relayed that "Ansar Allah al-Awfiya issued a statement following the attack, explicitly accusing the United States and Israel of conducting the raids to destabilize the border region between Iraq and Syria," showing competing attributions in the immediate aftermath.

The reporting situates the attack within longer historical and organisational context for the PMF/PMU and within a wider regional escalation.

“At least 30 people were killed, and dozens were injured in air strikes targeting the headquarters of the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) in Anbar in western Iraq, local media reported”

TRT World

Anadolu Ajansı provided background that "The PMF, also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, was originally formed on June 14, 2014, as a volunteer force supporting Iraqi security forces in the fight against the ISIS (Daesh) terror group."

Anadolu Ajansı

TRT World likewise noted that "The PMU is an umbrella organisation of mostly Shia militias, some of which have ties to neighbouring Iran."

Multiple outlets framed the Akashat strikes as connected to the broader cycle of violence linked to the February 28 campaign of strikes on Iran, with Anadolu Ajansı stressing that the incident "came as the US and Israel continued airstrikes on Iran that began Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people and injuring over 10,000 others."

Taken together, the pieces portray the attack as both a local strike on PMF infrastructure and part of a wider, rapidly unfolding regional confrontation.