Air strike near Syrian border kills 8 members of Hashed al-Shaabi, the pro-Iran militia operating in Iraq
- Aircraft were unidentified but the US-led military coalition operating in Syria and Iraq denied carrying out the strike
- The deadly strike comes in a context of spiralling tension between the United States and Iran, much of which has played out in Iraq
An air strike in eastern Syria killed eight fighters of Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force overnight, a war monitor said on Friday.
“Unidentified aircraft targeted vehicles and arms depots in the Albu Kamal area, causing a large explosion. At least eight Iraqi Hashed fighters were killed,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Through a spokesman contacted, the US-led military coalition operating in Syria and Iraq denied carrying out the strike.
Abdel Rahman said three villages in the Albu Kamal area known for housing forces loyal to Tehran have been targeted by drone strikes since Wednesday, causing no casualties.
The deadly strike comes in a context of spiralling tension between the United States and Iran, much of which has played out in Iraq.
Late last year, a US air strike in Iraq killed 25 Hashed fighters from the Kataeb Hezbollah militia, considered one of the closest to Tehran.
Hashed supporters subsequently stormed the huge US embassy compound in central Baghdad, further escalating the situation.