Regional tensions rise in Iraq after Iran backed militia leader killed in airstrike

A senior militia commander was killed on Thursday by an airstrike on the logistical support headquarters of an Iran-backed rebel group in central Baghdad, according to militia officials.

The attack on Thursday occurs as tensions in the region are rising due to the Israel-Hamas conflict and worries that it may spread to neighboring nations.

The rebel group, an alliance of militias ostensibly governed by the Iraqi military, declared in a statement that Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, popularly known as “Abu Taqwa,” its deputy chief of operations in Baghdad, had passed away “as a result of brutal American aggression.”

At first, it was unclear who had executed the attack.

Requests for comment from representatives of the US military and embassy in Baghdad were not immediately answered.

Two militia officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly said that the strike left five people wounded and two people dead.

Al-Saidi, a PMF member, and another militia official were killed when their car was struck while they were driving into the garage of the al-Nujaba militia’s headquarters, according to one of the officials.

The strike site on Palestine Street in Baghdad was surrounded by heavy security, and journalists from the Associated Press were not permitted to get too close to the building that was the target. There were Iraqi warplanes visible.

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, a group of Iranian-backed militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out more than 100 attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.

The group has said the attacks are in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the war against Hamas that has killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza, and that they aim to push U.S. forces out of Iraq.

The strike also comes two days after a suspected Israeli drone strike in the suburbs of Beirut killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh Arouri.

Asked whether Israel had involvement in Thursday’s strike in Baghdad, an Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment.

(With inputs from The Associated Press)