Airstrikes on PMF positions in northern and northwestern Iraq killed three PMF fighters and two police officers, with several others wounded. The PMF blamed the United States and Israel for the strikes. Drone attacks were reported near Erbil and on the residence of Kurdish Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok, while a drone crash at the Majnoon oilfield caused no damage. Observers warn Iraq is becoming an expanding battleground as Baghdad struggles to balance ties to both Washington and Tehran.
Airstrikes Kill Three PMF Fighters and Two Police in Iraq as US‑Israel‑Iran Violence Spreads
Smoke rises following an air strike on a Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) headquarters at Kirkuk International Airport, in Kirkuk, Iraq, on 28 March, 2026 [Ako Rasheed/Reuters]
Air strikes targeting Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) killed three militia fighters and two Iraqi police officers, and wounded several others, as the wider US‑Israel conflict with Iran continues to spill into Iraqi territory.
Attacks and Casualties
An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera that twin bombings on Saturday struck the PMF headquarters near Kirkuk Airport in northern Iraq, killing three fighters and wounding two more PMF members and six Iraqi soldiers. Separately, Reuters cited security sources saying an airstrike on a PMF position in Mosul killed two Iraqi police officers; Mosul is roughly 170 km (about 105 miles) northwest of Kirkuk.
The PMF, now incorporated into Iraq's regular armed forces, accused the United States and Israel of responsibility, saying those killed had been “subjected to a treacherous Zionist‑American attack.”
Drone Incidents Near Erbil and Duhok
On the same day, two drones targeted an airbase used as a hub by US and coalition forces near Erbil airport in Iraq's semi‑autonomous Kurdish region. Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reported that the US C‑RAM air defence system was activated and intercepted the incoming drones.
Kurdish outlet Rudaw reported a separate drone strike on the residence of Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region, in Duhok. Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Regional Government prime minister, condemned the attack “in the strongest terms” and urged Baghdad to bring those responsible to justice.
Other Developments
French President Emmanuel Macron said on X that he had spoken with Nechirvan Barzani and described the rising number of attacks in Iraq as a “worrying development.” Iraq's Ministry of Defence also reported that a drone crashed into the Majnoon oilfield in southern Iraq but failed to detonate, causing no damage or injuries.
Wider Context
Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera's Haque warned that Iraq is becoming an “expanding battleground” after the crisis began on February 28 when US‑Israeli strikes reportedly hit Iranian targets. Since then, pro‑Iran factions within the PMF — a force formed in 2014 on the orders of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani to fight ISIL (ISIS) and now integrated into Iraq's armed forces — have claimed assaults on US assets and been targeted in turn.
Haque noted the political difficulty for Baghdad: while the PMF formally takes orders from Baghdad, some units maintain strong loyalties to Tehran. That divide has left Iraq balancing between two powerful neighbours, making internal cohesion and stability more precarious as regional violence intensifies.
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