A headquarters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Palestine Street, central Baghdad, was struck by a drone attack, resulting in the death of the deputy commander of Baghdad Belt Operations within the PMF and the commander of the 12th Brigade of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Abu Taqwa al-Saidi, along with his aide. Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, led by Akram al-Kaabi, is considered part of Iraq’s so-called “resistance axis” and is known for its close ties to Tehran.
The US strikes came in response to attacks carried out by Iraqi armed factions operating under the PMF umbrella—among them Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, and Kataib Hezbollah—which have claimed responsibility for targeting US and coalition bases in Iraq and Syria.
Escalating Reciprocal Attacks
The cycle of reciprocal strikes is not new. It dates back to the killing of Iran’s Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, and his Iraqi ally, PMF deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. Since then, Iraqi factions have carried out numerous attacks across various cities, targeting coalition logistical convoys and military bases with drones, improvised explosive devices, and rockets. While these operations inflicted material damage on vehicles and facilities, they did not result in coalition casualties.
Operations by these factions largely subsided after the formation of Iraq’s current government by the Coordination Framework, of which some of the armed groups are part. However, attacks resumed in the wake of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation in Palestine. Between October 7 and the end of December, 130 attacks were recorded: 26 in October, 45 in November, and 48 in December. In the current month of January, 11 attacks have so far targeted coalition military bases.
Casualties
The losses on both sides were uneven. The United States announced carrying out seven strikes inside Iraq, targeting sites used by the factions as headquarters as well as weapon-carrying vehicles and personnel convoys. As a result of these airstrikes, a total of 17 fighters affiliated with factions under the PMF umbrella were killed, in addition to damage inflicted on key operational bases :
| Casualties | Faction | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 killed, 4 wounded | Kataib Hezbollah (Iraqi Hezbollah) | Jurf al-Sakhar – Babil | 22 Nov 2023 |
| 1 killed | Kataib Hezbollah (Iraqi Hezbollah) | Abu Ghraib – Baghdad | 21 Nov 2023 |
| 5 killed | Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba | Wadi al-Shay – Kirkuk | 3 Dec 2023 |
| 1 killed, 22 wounded | Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba | Babil | 26 Dec 2023 |
| 2 killed (including the deputy commander of Baghdad Belt Operations in the PMF and the commander of the 12th Brigade), 5 wounded | Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba | Baghdad | 4 Jan 2024 |
Casualties of Armed Factions from US Strikes
Coalition Losses
As for the losses on the coalition side led by the United States, the Pentagon reported only one death—an American contractor who suffered a heart attack following a panic episode. The strikes also caused material damage to infrastructure and a number of varying injuries resulting from direct hits on coalition bases in Iraq and Syria.
On November 9, 2023, the White House announced 56 cases of injury among U.S. personnel at military bases, including traumatic brain injuries and minor wounds, noting that those affected had returned to duty within days. In a separate incident, 21 American personnel sustained various other injuries.
| Incident | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Non-serious injuries among U.S. and coalition forces, along with minor infrastructure damage | Ayn al-Asad | 21 Nov 2023 |
| 56 U.S. personnel sustained traumatic brain injuries and minor wounds; all returned to duty | Syria & Iraq | 9 Nov 2023 |
| 66 attacks recorded against military bases | Syria & Iraq | 17 Oct – 21 Nov 2023 |
| One American contractor died of a heart attack while sheltering in place; 21 U.S. personnel sustained minor injuries | Syria & Iraq | 26 Nov 2023 |
| Attack resulted in three U.S. soldiers injured, one of them in critical condition | Erbil Airport | 25 Dec 2023 |
Casualties of US Forces from Attacks by Iraqi Armed Factions
