Iraq authorizes PMF response to attacks

2026-03-24 - 19:31

Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq’s Ministerial Council for National Security authorized the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and security agencies to respond to attacks on military sites, after a series of airstrikes and missile strikes across the country. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani chaired an emergency meeting on Tuesday, where officials reviewed the impact of escalating regional fighting on Iraq. The council said the state alone holds the authority to decide on war and peace and warned that any group acting outside that framework will face legal action. It authorized security forces, including the PMF, to respond to strikes targeting official sites using available means under the right of self-defense, according to military spokesman Sabah al-Numan. The council also ordered security agencies to pursue those involved in attacks on military sites, civilian infrastructure, and diplomatic missions, and to enforce arrest warrants without delay. The decisions follow an airstrike on a PMF position at Habbaniyah base in Anbar that killed and wounded dozens. Casualty figures remain unclear, with estimates reaching up to 30. The PMF said its Al-Anbar operations commander, Saad Duwai, was killed along with 14 fighters in the strike. In northern Iraq, Kurdish authorities reported 36 casualties among Peshmerga forces after ballistic missiles hit positions in Erbil province.