ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — US forces are not behind recent attacks on Iran-backed militias in Iraq, according to the US Department of Defense. A Pentagon spokesman said that recent attacks on arms depots and other installations belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, were not the result of US military action, amidst PMF claims of US and Israeli involvement. “U.S. forces did not conduct the recent attack on a convoy or any recent attacks that resulted in the explosion of ammunition storage facilities in Iraq. Statements to the contrary are false, misleading, and inflammatory,” Jonathan R. Hoffman said in a Monday statement. “We support Iraqi sovereignty and have repeatedly spoken out against any potential actions by external actors inciting violence in Iraq.” This is the second time the US has had to reject allegations that it might be behind a string of recent attacks against PMF, which included explosions at an arms depot and an attack on a PMF convoy. The US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), officially known as Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), also refuted the claims on August 21. “The mission of CJTF-OIR in Iraq is solely to enable our Iraqi Security Force partners in the mission of an enduring defeat of Daesh. We operate in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq and comply with their laws and direction,” the coalition tweeted. The US is responding to accusations leveled at it by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of PMF Commission. “We have evidence that shows US has brought four Israeli drones into Iraq,” Muhandis said in a post on the PMF’s Facebook page on August 21. “US are using the drones to target the PMF and Iraqi bases, rather than targeting Daesh,” he added, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (ISIS). A series of mysterious blasts at PMF installations have occurred as of late. On August 20, an arms depot belonging to Kataib Hezbollah, a unit of the PMF, near al-Balad military airbase in Saladin province went up in flames. On August 12, a massive blast also rocked an arms depots belonging to a PMF militia at the al-Saqr military base in Baghdad, killing one and injuring 13 more. The latest attack against the PMF occurred on Sunday, when an alleged airstrike targeted a convoy of PMF, killing at least one member and injuring another. The PMF mostly consists of Shiite Muslims. However, the influential Shiite cleric Muqatada al-Sadr contradicted PMF claims of Israel’s involvement. In a late Monday statement, Sadr said he is “sure” that Israel is not behind the attacks against PMF. “It [Israel] knows [the Iraqi] response will be seismic to its security and influence. The Zionists know their end will come from Iraq,” said Sadr, who heads the Sayirun Alliance that won Iraq’s parliamentary elections in May 2018. Sadr said if Israel is found to have done the attack, people should remain calm, however. Regarding the PMF, Sadr said that Iraqi militias in Syria should come home. “Withdraw all militias from beloved Syria,” he said. Some PMF units are currently fighting in Syria on behalf of the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Sadr also said arms depots and bases should be under the control of the Iraqi state. “It should be that arms are restricted to the hand of the state, all bases are closed, and arms depots are surrendered to the state.” Iran’s government, a close ally of the Iraqi government and the PMF, said on Monday that Iraq has the right to respond to the attacks. “The Israeli attacks on Iraq bases and forces are definitely a clear breach of the sovereignty of Iraq and we resolutely condemn it,” Iranian government spokesperson Ali Rabei said to Iranian state media on Monday. “We hope that the United Nations and the international community do not ignore these destructive actions.” Rabei said that it could potentially help Iraq with its response to the attacks, but did not specify what this means. “We would not shy away from providing any support to our brother and friend, the country of Iraq if they request,” he said. “However the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people are strong enough to give the appropriate response if necessary.” Iraq’s heads of state, the prime minister, president, and parliament speaker said they would protect the PMF at a meeting on Monday.
