Explosion at Iran-Linked Arms Depot in Baghdad

Iraqi security officials say an explosion has occurred in an arms depot belonging to an Iranian-backed militia faction north of Baghdad.

The explosion is the latest in a series of mysterious blasts that have rocked military bases and weapons depots around the country recently.

The explosions have been in bases and warehouses belonging to militia groups under the umbrella of the mainly Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces. Some have been blamed on drone attacks, others on faulty storage.

No one has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s explosion near the Balad air base in Salaheddin province or either of the other two explosions.

Recent attacks on Iran-linked targets have been attributed to Israel, which has not officially confirmed or denied this. However, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said repeatedly that the IDF will continue to strike at Iranian targets in the region that pose a threat to Israeli security.

In response, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi last week banned unauthorized flights throughout the country.

The officials who confirmed the explosion spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.