On July 30th, the US military reportedly launched a “defensive” airstrike south of Baghdad, Iraq, targeting armed militants who were attempting to use drones to threaten US and coalition forces. The attack took place in a base used by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in southern Baghdad, resulting in the death of 4 members and injuring 4 others, according to Iraqi police and medical sources cited by Reuters.
An unnamed US official stated that the airstrike targeted Musayyib in Babil province, without providing further details. The official added that the target was believed to be armed militants attempting to launch drones and pose threats to US and coalition forces. Another official emphasized the US commitment to the safety and security of personnel through this operation.
Last week, multiple rockets were reported to have been fired at the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, which houses US-led coalition forces. However, all rockets were successfully intercepted, with none hitting the base. According to an anonymous US official quoted by ABC News, the target of the airstrike was fighters attempting to deploy “One-Way Attack Unmanned Aerial Systems (OWAUAS).” The official highlighted the assessment by the US Central Command that OWAUAS poses a threat to US and coalition forces based on recent incidents in Iraq and Syria.
This operation marked the first US airstrike in Iraq since February, targeting over 85 objectives associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and allied militia groups in Iraq and Syria. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) is a quasi-military organization in Iraq dominated by battle-hardened armed groups closely aligned with Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, with a total force of 150,000 personnel.
Iraq, the US, and Iran maintain complex alliances. Iraq hosts 2,500 US troops with Iranian-supported militia groups within its security forces. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict last October, Iranian attacks against the US have escalated.
Iraqi sources indicate that Iraq aims for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces starting in September this year, with formal completion by September 2025, though some US troops may stay in advisory roles per new negotiations. Iraqi political factions allied with Iran seek to expel what they view as previous occupiers, while US officials aim to prevent Iran and its allies from gaining influence and plunging Iraq into terrorist factions’ control.
In 2003, a US-led coalition intervened in Iraq, overthrowing the Saddam regime and withdrawing in 2011. In 2014, the US returned to Iraq, leading the coalition in combating the Islamic State terror group.