Iraqi resistance strikes ‘vital’ Israeli target in Eilat after strike on PMU base

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, in a statement published on its Telegram channel, claimed responsibility for the attack on the “vital” site in the port of Eilat, which lies at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on Saturday morning.

It said the drone strike was carried out in continuation of the second phase of the struggle against the occupying Israeli regime, in support of Palestinians in Gaza, and in retaliation for the massacres that the usurping Zionist entity is perpetrating against ordinary people in the besieged territory.

The group noted that the strike also came in reprisal for grave violation of Iraqi sovereignty and in response to the aggression on Hashd al-Sha’abi camps.

Earlier, at least one person was killed and eight others wounded after a military base housing Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters came under an airstrike in Iraq’s central province of Babylon.

Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news channel reported that the “aerial assault” targeted the Calso military base south of Baghdad overnight, and hit the main entrance to the base and an office belonging to Hashd al-Sha’abi.

The report added that the attack was most likely carried out by unmanned aerial vehicles.

An unnamed Iraqi military source stated that three Iraqi military personnel had been wounded in the strike.

In a statement, Hashd al-Sha’abi said an “explosion” had inflicted “material losses” and casualties, without specifying the number of wounded.

The group confirmed that its premises on the military base had been hit and that investigators had been sent to the site.

Responding to questions from AFP, two security sources would not identify who was responsible, or say whether it had been a drone strike.

“The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles,” an Interior Ministry official said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Shortly after the explosion, the US military said its forces were not behind the reported strike in Iraq.

“The United States has not conducted air strikes in Iraq today,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on social media platform X, adding that reports that American forces had carried out a strike were “not true.”

Separately, the US-led military coalition, purportedly formed to fight the Daesh terrorist group, announced in a statement that it did not participate or strike locations in Iraq.

The explosion on the Iraqi military base comes as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq vowed to proceed with its retaliatory operations until Israel stops its genocide in Gaza.

The coalition has been staging many such attacks on Israeli targets since the occupying regime launched a genocidal war on Gaza in early October.

Israel launched its atrocious onslaught against the Gaza Strip, targeting hospitals, residences, and houses of worship since Palestinian resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the usurping regime on October 7.

At least 34,012 Palestinians have been martyred, most of them women and children, and another 76,833 individuals have sustained injuries. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced during the war as well.