Strike hits former paramilitary base near Iraq’s Mosul: Officials

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BAGDAD – An air strike on March 9 hit a base belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition in northern Iraq, according to officials from the former paramilitary alliance, which includes pro-Iran factions.

One of the officials blamed the strike on the United States, saying it hit a base in Bartella area near the city of Mosul in Nineveh province.

Another Hashed source and a local official confirmed the attack, with no casualties reported.

The Hashed al-Shaabi, or the Popular Mobilisation Forces, is an alliance of factions created in 2014 to fight jihadists and is now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces.

Iran-backed groups have brigades that operate within the Hashed al-Shaabi, but have a reputation for acting on their own.

Since the

start of the Middle East war

, bases belonging to Hashed al-Shaabi have been hit several times, with strikes targeting Tehran-backed armed groups.

These groups are also united under a loose alliance called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has claimed attacks against US bases in Iraq. AFP