Explosion at PMF base kills one amid reports of potential Israeli offensive

A huge explosion at Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces headquarters killed one person on Tuesday, amid reports of Israel preparing a new front with the country to target Iran-backed militias.

Iraqi security and medical sources in Baghdad reported at least one fatality when an explosion ripped through the PMF’s main base south of the Iraqi capital.

The blast occurred at a main compound used by several PMF factions in the Jurf al-Naddaf area, south of Baghdad. The sound of the explosion was heard across much of the capital, as flames rose from the site.

The PMF – known in Arabic as al-Hashd al-Shaabi – announced the death of one of its members, saying he was "martyred."

In a brief statement, the group said the explosion was an accident "that occurred during a technical operation in the Jurf al-Naddaf area of Baghdad."

"The explosion was caused by explosive materials left behind by ISIS terrorist gangs, which had been stored inside one of the directorate’s facilities."

Iraqi security forces sealed off the area as ambulances rushed to the scene. The fatality was taken to Baghdad’s Neurosurgery Hospital, along with several wounded — all members of the PMF.

CCTV footage showed the moment the explosion happened, while other videos circulating online showed smoke billowing into the air. Other videos show destruction in the aftermath.

The PMF was created by government decree in 2014 following a fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urging volunteers to defend Iraq during the rise of the Islamic State group. However, it is made up of mainly Shia Iran-backed groups.

Thousands of fighters from pre-existing groups joined under the PMF umbrella. In 2016, the force was officially integrated into the country’s security forces.

Threats of an Israeli war

Despite the PMF's statement, many social media users speculated that the explosion was the result of an Israeli strike, with some claiming to have seen drones in the sky soon after the attack.

This comes amid increasing reports that Israel was planning an offensive in Iraq.

Israeli media has reported lately that Tel Aviv was planning to launch an attack on the country to target Iran-backed militant groups.

Israel’s military and intelligence are preparing to open a new front in Iraq, citing alleged threats to Israel fuelled by Iran, Israeli news site Walla reported last week.

The report said the army and Mossad are gearing up for what it described as a "growing threat" to Israel’s home front from Iraq.

The site quoted sources in the Israeli army’s Northern Command as claiming that "the Iranians are investing significant resources in their loyal militias and in terrorist infrastructure inside Iraq, with the aim of enabling these militias, at a certain point, to attack Israel by air and land."

It cited a recent visit to Iraq by Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.

The report also noted that the Israeli Air Force has previously struck logistical centres in Iran near the Iraqi border during the 12-day war in June, alleging they were being used by Iranian-backed Iraqi factions.

Israeli sources believe that Iran succeeded during the June war in carrying out attacks against Israel through several Iraqi factions "that used generic names to conceal their true identities."

Walla pointed to earlier foreign reports suggesting that the Israeli Air Force, with the help of the Mossad, had conducted strikes in the region aimed at deterring those factions and the Iraqi government.

Israeli sources also said that clear messages and direct threats were conveyed from Israel to the Iraqi government through US mediation, though not exclusively via Washington.

Avoiding conflict

The past two years have seen Iran’s regional network of allies – the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen – gone or significantly weakened by Israeli attacks.

PMF factions targeted US troops and Israel with drones and cruise missiles at the onset of the Gaza war in late 2023. However, this quickly subdued after the US responded in early 2024 with large-scale airstrikes in Iraq.

Since then, Iraq has managed to sideline itself and stay out of conflicts in the region.

PMF factions were quiet in the June war between Iran and Israel, despite Israeli warplanes repeatedly passing through Iraqi airspace and bombing main backer Iran.

Iraq has long played a balancing act between Washington and Tehran, both of which have major influence there.

While the US maintains troops in the country, rattled by decades of conflict and instability, Iran backs powerful Shia political and armed factions.