Baghdad: One fighter from Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) was killed and three others were injured in an airstrike carried out by unidentified aircraft in northern Iraq, according to the country's Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

According to Anadolu Agency, the command's Security Media Cell reported that the headquarters of the PMF's 40th Brigade was targeted at 18.10 local time, with the 33rd Regiment of the PMF also struck in Nineveh Governorate. The attacks resulted in the death of one PMF fighter and injuries to three others, along with initial reports of material damage.

The strikes on the PMF occurred amid operations by Iraqi factions under the so-called 'Islamic resistance' against US bases, coinciding with a broader Israeli-US offensive against Iran. The PMF, also known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, was initially formed on June 14, 2014, as a volunteer force supporting Iraqi security forces against ISIS and was formally incorporated into Iraq's armed forces by a government decree in July 2016.

In a separate incident, the Security Media Cell reported the interception of an unidentified drone near Erbil International Airport at 07.45 pm local time. The drone crashed in the Kazna area onto a warehouse storing plastic materials, triggering a fire that was extinguished by civil defense teams. No casualties were reported, with damage confined to material losses.

Regional tensions have escalated following a US and Israeli attack on Iran, which resulted in the deaths of several top Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated with a series of drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, US assets in Iraq, Jordan, and several Gulf countries.