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The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) announced late on August 22 that its air-defense units had opened fire at a reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that flew over one of their bases near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
“The air defenses of the PMU’s 12th Brigade targeted a reconnaissance UAV that was flying over the brigade’s headquarters in Bagdad’s belt,” a reporter of the PMU’s media wing said.
The reporter added that the air defense fire forced the mysterious UAV to move away from the 12th Brigade base, thus “foiling its mission.”
A day earlier, the PMU’s deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis held the U.S. and Israel responsible for the recent explosions that rocked several ammo depots of the Iraqi force. Al-Muhandis also vowed to respond to any future attack.
“We informed the [Iraqi] Joint Operations Command that we will consider any foreign warplane that would fly over our headquarters without the knowledge of the Iraqi government a hostile warplane and we will deal with it on these basis,” the PMU’s deputy commander said in an official statement.
The U.S.-led coalition had rejected the Iraqi force’s accusation, but provided no explanation on how these attacks were carried out.
Today’s incident confirms that the PMU is determined to put an end to the attacks that targeted its ammo depots over the last few weeks..
