'A heinous crime': Air strikes kill seven fighters in Iraq's Anbar

Seven fighters were killed and 13 wounded in an aerial attack on a military base in western Iraq's Anbar province, according to Iraq's Ministry of Defence.

The Wednesday strikes specifically targeted the military healthcare clinic at the Habbaniyah base, prompting Iraqi officials to condemn what they characterized as "a heinous crime" that violated "all international laws and norms."

Iraqi police sources confirmed to Al Jazeera that the attack focused on positions held by Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), a paramilitary organization that includes Iran-aligned brigades. The PMF reportedly operates from the same base as Iraq's regular army units.

Al Jazeera's Assed Baig, reporting from Baghdad, noted that initial strikes were followed by additional attacks on the same location. This incident appears to mark the first time PMF forces were targeted alongside Iraq's broader military apparatus.

The attack comes as Iraq faces increasing pressure from the ongoing United States-Israeli conflict with Iran. On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced that Baghdad would summon both Iranian and US ambassadors regarding recent military strikes.

Iraq reserves 'right to respond'

Security officials cited by AFP confirmed the strike occurred at the same base that experienced a deadly attack just one day earlier. Tuesday's strike, which the PMF attributed to US forces, proved to be the deadliest incident in Iraq since the Iran conflict began on February 28, killing 15 fighters, including a senior commander.

Following Tuesday's attack, Iraq's government granted the PMF explicit authorization to respond to future strikes against its forces—a position Iraqi officials reaffirmed Wednesday.

"We reserve our full right to take all necessary measures to respond to this aggression within the established legal frameworks," the Defence Ministry stated.

Since the conflict's onset, pro-Iran armed groups have claimed responsibility for attacks targeting US interests throughout Iraq and the broader region. Simultaneously, these groups have faced retaliatory strikes, including attacks on government-affiliated positions.

The US Department of Defense has acknowledged deploying combat helicopters for strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the current conflict.

Baig characterized the latest strikes as representing "an escalation in terms of the PMF being targeted," adding that Iraq is "increasingly becoming a battlefield between Iraqi armed factions and the United States."