Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi confirms US-Saudi airstrike on Basra headquarters

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) Basra Operations Command confirmed Wednesday that its headquarters was hit by an airstrike in the early hours of the morning, leaving two members wounded. The command said the attack occurred around 2:00 a.m. and that initial reports indicated the two individuals had been rescued with injuries. It added that relevant units had begun examining the site while security forces increased protective measures in the surrounding area. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on July 28 that precision airstrikes, carried out with Saudi air force participation, had targeted weapons and logistics sites belonging to Iran-backed groups in eastern Iraq. CENTCOM further claimed that more than 30 drone attacks on US forces and Saudi energy facilities over the previous 72 hours had been directed by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. A security source reported that explosions had occurred near sites linked to armed groups in Basra, Babil, Karbala and Nineveh. The strikes followed Riyadh's accusation that Iran-backed groups in Iraq had carried out drone attacks on Saudi energy installations.