A reported U.S. airstrike against Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi militia in the western province of Anbar Tuesday killed at least 14 members of the pro-Iranian group, including its regional commander.
Al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), said the strikes targeted their headquarters while fighters were "performing their national duty."
It confirmed in a statement the death of its Anbar commander, Saad al-Baiji, and several of his companions.
It accused the United States of carrying out the attack, saying a U.S. airstrike targeted a command headquarters while personnel were on duty.
Civil defense teams were still searching the debris and 15 others were reportedly injured, the group added.
The information could not initially be independently verified. Neither the Iraqi government in Baghdad nor the U.S. has commented on the incident.
The paramilitary group, which played a key role in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group between 2014 and 2017, continues to operate alongside Iraqi security forces.
Tehran-backed armed groups have launched attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in February, raising fears of a wider regional escalation.
Separately, six Iraqi Kurdish fighters were killed in a rocket and drone attack on a base north of Irbil in Northern Iraq, a ministry source said.
More than 20 others were injured. The source said there were two attacks: the first caused no damage and the second struck an hour later.
There has been no official statement by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Irbil is home to a multinational base where soldiers from the U.S. and Germany are stationed.
Authorities in the autonomous region have previously pledged neutrality in the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Both Iran and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq have claimed responsibility for attacks on the Kurdish-dominated region. Iranian forces have also struck Iranian Kurdish groups in neighboring Iraq.
