US-Saudi strikes on Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces kill at least 20, PMF says
At least 20 killed and 32 wounded in US-Saudi strikes on Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces bases, the PMF said early on July 29, 2026, Reuters reported.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iran-aligned umbrella militia in Iraq, said in the early hours of July 29, 2026 that at least 20 of its fighters were killed and 32 others wounded after strikes it described as carried out by US and Saudi forces. The group said several of its bases across Iraq were hit, a report by Reuters cited the announcement.
PMF reports heavy losses
The PMF’s public statement provided the casualty figures and referred to the strikes as a coordinated operation by American and Saudi forces. The announcement did not immediately detail the specific PMF units affected or identify individual combatants.
Reuters carried the PMF’s account of the incident, noting that the numbers represent the militia’s reported toll. Independent verification of the casualty figures was not available at the time of the report.
Targets and locations
According to the PMF statement, multiple bases across Iraq were targeted in the strikes described as taking place in the early hours of July 29, 2026. The group did not specify the exact locations or the provinces where the bases were hit.
Iraqi military and provincial authorities were not cited in the PMF’s initial communication, and the available public reporting did not include confirmation from local security officials. The dispersed nature of PMF units across Iraq often complicates rapid independent verification.
Alleged US and Saudi role
The PMF attributed the strikes to American and Saudi forces, and Reuters reported the group’s claims. At the time of the PMF announcement there was no immediate, public confirmation from either the United States or Saudi Arabia included in the report.
Official responses from the governments implicated in the PMF statement were not contained in the initial reporting. Historically, Western and regional partners have carried out targeted strikes in Iraq and neighbouring areas against armed groups, but each incident typically prompts separate official statements and clarifications.
Iraq’s response and domestic implications
Baghdad’s central government had not issued a detailed response in the initial reporting linked to the PMF statement. The incident raises potential concerns about Iraqi sovereignty and the presence of foreign military activity on Iraqi soil.
Political and security leaders in Iraq commonly call for restraint and for incidents to be handled through diplomatic channels, but the immediate domestic administrative reaction to this specific event was not included in the PMF’s announcement or the Reuters dispatch.
Regional security context
The PMF is part of a network of militias in Iraq that have been described by officials and analysts as aligned with or supported by Iran. Strikes attributed to foreign states against such groups have in the past increased tensions across the wider Gulf region.
Analysts caution that strikes against militias can trigger retaliatory incidents or further military responses, raising the prospect of a broader escalation. Observers will be watching for statements from regional capitals and any follow-on actions by armed groups.
Verification and international reaction
Independent verification of the PMF’s casualty figures was not available in the initial reporting, and international reactions had not been widely reported at the time the PMF’s statement was published. News agencies commonly seek comment from all parties involved to corroborate such claims.
International and diplomatic channels typically register concern when cross-border or foreign-led strikes are reported inside Iraq, and any confirmations or denials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, or Iraqi authorities are likely to shape the next phase of coverage.
The reported strikes and the PMF’s casualty figures mark a significant development in Iraq’s volatile security landscape and will be monitored closely by Iraqi authorities, regional capitals and international partners as further details emerge.