In central Iraq, a major explosion destroyed part of a military base housing Iraqi forces close to Iran on the night of April 19 to 20. In the context of tensions agitating the region, we are wondering about the origin of the incident which left one dead and eight injured.
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This Saturday morning, there remains a crater 5m deep and 10m wide, reports our correspondent in Erbil, in Iraq, Marie-Charlotte Roupie. And so far no explanation. Kalsu is a military base in Babylon province, south of Baghdad. There is a military headquarters and the Popular Mobilization Forces, Hachd al-Chaabi, former paramilitary factions close to theIrantoday an integral part of the army.
Was the base targeted by a drone or missiles? Shot by who? Quickly after the explosion, links were made between it and tensions between Iran and Israel. And the American army already targeted this area a few months ago, in retaliation for attacks on its bases by Iraqi armed factions. But this time, the United States denies any link to any attack. Questioned by AFP, the Israeli army for its part assured “ do not comment on information appearing in foreign media “.
Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, an official at the Iraqi Interior Ministry assured that the strike had targeted the Hachd al-Shaabi armored vehicle directorate. Hashd al-Chaabi brings together several pro-Iran armed factions, some of which have also carried out dozens of attacks in Iraq and Syria against American soldiers deployed as part of a international anti-jihadist coalition.
“ We will retaliate against anyone behind this attack “, warned Abou Alaa al-Walaï, secretary-general of the Sayyed al-Chouhada Brigades, one of the factions which is part of the Hachd. “ Those involved in this heinous crime will pay the price “, he insisted in a press release published on his X account.
An explosive regional context
In a statement, Iraqi security forces said Saturday that no aerial activity was recorded above the base at the time of the explosion. Could it then be an accident? An investigation has been opened to try to answer all these questions.
This security incident in Iraq comes at a time when diplomatic efforts are continuing to avoid a conflagration in the Middle East, against a backdrop of war in Gaza and rekindled tensions between Israel and Iran. Friday before dawn, drone strikes had thus targeted the surroundings of a military base in the Isfahan region in central Iran. The attack was blamed on Israel, which, however, did not claim responsibility.
Iraqi diplomacy expressed on Friday evening its “ strong concern » regarding the attack in Isfahan and “ warned of the risks of military escalation which threatens security and stability in the region “. “ This escalation must not distract from what is happening in the Gaza Strip, the destruction and loss of innocent lives “, she argued.
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