Five Injured as Iraqi Officials Point to Israeli Strikes on Chinese Air Defense Stockpiles

Five people were injured in a blast at a Popular Mobilization Forces base in Baghdad's East Canal area on October 17, according to sources cited by Asharq Al-Awsat. The explosion, which the PMF initially labeled an accident, struck a stockpile of obsolete ammunition. Iraqi authorities have not released a final update on the investigation, though more than a week has passed since the incident.

Government officials now suspect Israel was behind the strikes. The attacks targeted two locations where Iran-backed militias stored shoulder-fired air defense systems of Chinese origin. Tehran reportedly supplied these weapons. The specific model of the system was not identified in the report. One source noted that the armed group selecting the storage site considered it difficult to reach or detect. The strikes occurred shortly after the shipments arrived at both sites.

Security officials stated that while the nature of the strikes had not been fully determined, gathered evidence pointed to an Israeli origin. This assessment follows an earlier incident on October 1, when warehouses linked to Iran-backed groups in and around Baghdad were affected. Those warehouses reportedly held drones intended for suicide attacks and reconnaissance missions.

A source within the Shi'ite Coordination Framework said that ruling party leaders had spent weeks predicting a renewed conflict between Washington and Tehran. They expected this new round to begin with the destruction of Iraqi faction capabilities. Most major groups in the PMF, excluding the Badr Organization, are sanctioned by the US as terrorist organizations. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a militia coalition, published a statement claiming Iraqi airspace was being violated.

Iran has armed Iraqi militias for years with missiles and drones capable of threatening Israel. The groups conducted numerous attacks on Israel following the start of the war on October 7, 2023. Since US and Israeli airstrikes began in February, Iran has sought to turn Iraq into a frontline. It has executed more than 1,000 strikes on the Kurdistan Region using drones and missiles. Iran and allied militias have also mounted 600 attacks across Iraq, some targeting US diplomatic sites.

The US withdrew its forces from Iraq on September 30, a deadline agreed upon with Baghdad. Washington has warned Americans against traveling to Baghdad. China's Foreign Ministry denied reports of supplying weapons to Iran on July 28. An Iran-backed militia recently attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline with a drone from Iraq's Maysan province. That border crossing has since been closed amid US pressure and Iraqi concerns about trafficking.

Iraqi officials pointed to Israel for similar strikes in 2019 and for an attack in Albukamal, Syria. In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel established a secret airstrip in Iraq during its campaign against Iran. Conflicting, unconfirmed accounts suggest Israeli fighter jets flew through Iraqi airspace near the Iranian border with the support of midair refuelers.