Iraq releases 5 suspects in attack on US troops

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five people have been released after they were arrested in connection with a rocket attack that injured several United States personnel in western Iraq, a local official said on Thursday. 

All five members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) who were arrested on August 8 by security forces in relation to an attack on Ain al-Asad base in Anbar province, were released earlier on Thursday, Saad Mohammadi, the head of Anbar provincial council’s security committee, told Rudaw.

He said that all of them are from Anbar province. 

Iraq’s Security Media Cell announced the arrest of the unidentified suspects on August 8, saying they had taken part in an “illegal” attack on US troops. 

The arrests were made based on evidence found by an investigative committee set up on orders from Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The Pentagon reported that several US personnel were injured in the August 5 attack.

The PMF (Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic) is a collection of armed groups nominally under the control of the Iraqi government, though many have close ties with Iran.

The rocket strike was the third attack in three weeks on the Iraqi air base. 

Hastiyar Qadir contributed to this article