Air strikes kill 3 PMF fighters, 2 police in Iraq
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- Air strikes bombed the PMF headquarters near Kirkuk Airport, killing three fighters and wounding two others and six Iraqi soldiers.
- Iraqi police: Two officers were killed in an air strike targeting the PMF in Mosul, about 105 miles northwest of Kirkuk.
- PMF coalition: The ex‑paramilitary group blamed the United States and Israel, calling the attack a “treacherous Zionist‑American” assault.
- Kurdish leader: A drone struck the house of Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok, prompting a condemnation from Masrour Barzani.
- French President: Emmanuel Macron called the increased attacks in Iraq a “worrying development” after speaking with Masrour Barzani.
- US defence: The C‑RAM air defence system intercepted drones targeting an airbase near Erbil airport that serves US and coalition forces.
Why it matters: The strikes kill Iraqi security personnel and provoke Kurdish officials, tightening Baghdad’s tightrope between Washington and Tehran and risking broader regional instability. France’s diplomatic warning underscores growing international concern over Iraq’s security vacuum, while drone attacks on a Kurdish leader’s house and a crash at the Majnoon oilfield reveal the conflict’s expanding reach.
