Iraqi Militias Bid Farewell to Martyrs Killed by US Air Attacks

Members of the Iraqi militia group Popular Mobilization Forces and their supporters participated Tuesday in a funeral march in central Baghdad to bid farewell to the four fighters killed in a U.S. bombing against the organization's positions in western Iraq.

The funeral took place in the center of the Iraqi capital and was attended by the leader of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Faleh al Fayad, its military chief, Abdelaziz al Mohamadawi, as well as the Iraqi National Security Advisor, Qasem al Aaraji, among other security and political representatives.

RELATED:

US Carries Out Airstrikes against Militias in Iraq and Syria

Protesters at the funeral carried four coffins covered with the Iraqi flag and photos of the victims, as well as of the late number two of the militia group, Abu Mahdi al Mohandes, killed in a targeted U.S. bombing along with Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in early 2020.

At the protest, in the vicinity of the so-called "Green Zone", where foreign embassies, including the U.S. embassy, are located, slogans such as "death to the US" and "revenge for the martyrs" could be heard.

Popular Mobilization Forces announced the day before the death of four of its men in the attack which, according to its version, took place at 2:00 a.m. on Monday, at a distance of 13 kilometers from the Iraqi border in the Al Qaim region, in the westernmost part of Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Kataeb Said al Shuhadah militia, which is part of the larger militia formation, said in a note that it is waiting for "a signal from the General Command to respond" and take revenge for the bombings that caused casualties in its ranks.

For its part, the Iraqi army and government, prominent allies of Washington both politically and in the fight against the Islamic State, strongly rejected the attack on their territory.

Early Monday morning, U.S. fighters attacked an area of Al-Bukamal in Deir Ezzor (eastern Syria), bordering Iraq, leaving one child dead. In addition, Iraqi sources report that four Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces fighters were killed in the assault.

U.S. air strikes against pro-Iranian militia positions in Syria and Iraq caused 11 deaths, in response to which these formations, allegedly aligned with Tehran, launched shells against a U.S. base in Syrian territory on Monday.

The Al Qaim district in western Iraq and the Al Bukamal area in eastern Syria were the target of three targeted US bombings early this morning against arms depots and military positions of Shiite militias on the border between the two countries.