Death toll rises to 20 in Saudi-US joint airstrikes in Iraq

At least 20 fighters from the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) have been killed in joint airstrikes carried out by Saudi Arabia and the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) on militia positions in Iraq. The strikes were launched in response to recent drone attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities.

In a statement issued on Wednesday (July 29), CENTCOM said that more than 30 drone attacks had targeted US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure over the past 72 hours. It alleged that the attacks were carried out under the direction of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence said the airstrikes targeted Iraq-based armed groups allegedly responsible for the drone attacks on oil installations in the Kingdom's Eastern Province.

The ministry said Riyadh does not seek further escalation but warned that it would respond appropriately to any act of aggression.

Iran, however, denied any direct involvement in the attacks. Quoting an unnamed military official, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said blaming Tehran for any attack on US interests in the Middle East would be a "major miscalculation."

The Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) said its headquarters at multiple locations across Iraq came under joint Saudi-US airstrikes, leaving 20 fighters dead and 32 others injured.
The group added that the casualty figures were preliminary and could rise as damage assessments continue.

The predominantly Shia paramilitary coalition, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, is formally part of Iraq's state security apparatus, although several of its factions maintain close ties with Iran.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Monday ordered an investigation into the drone attacks, warning that Iraqi territory must not be used to launch attacks against neighbouring countries.