Fifteen Members of Hashd al-Shaabi Killed in Iraqi Airstrike Amid Escalating Regional Conflict

Kathmandu. Fifteen members of the Hashd al-Shaabi coalition were killed in an airstrike in Iraq. This attack is being viewed as the deadliest incident since the start of the Iran-US war.

The war has spread to Iraq after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran on February 28. Hashd al-Shaabi, which is affiliated with Iran-backed brigades integrated into the Iraqi armed forces, has blamed the joint US-Israeli attack for the deaths of its fighters.

Six Peshmerga fighters were killed in a ballistic missile attack in autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraqi officials called the attack 'hostile and treacherous' and accused Iran of involvement. Neither the US nor Iran has commented on the incident.

In past years, Iran-backed armed groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on US targets across Iraq and the region, while US-Israeli actions have also targeted these groups. The Pentagon recently acknowledged a helicopter attack against an Iran-backed group in Iraq.

Hashd al-Shaabi issued a statement urging political factions to take responsibility and confront US violations. According to Kurdish officials, six Iranian ballistic missiles targeted the Peshmerga, resulting in six deaths and 30 injuries.

Experts have assessed this incident as an indication of the complexity of the conflict in Iraq and the regional security risks. The war is having a major impact on Iraq's political and security balance, and the Kurds are attempting to remain neutral in the Iran-US war.