Woman killed by shrapnel after strike on arms depot in Iraq

A woman was killed by shrapnel following a strike on an arms depot belonging to an Iran-backed armed group in Iraq, health and security officials said, Al Jazeera reports.

A security source said that “a bombing targeted an arms depot at a military base,” which mainly hosts the powerful Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, near the town of Al-Suwaira, southeast of Baghdad.

The source added that “a woman was martyred when shrapnel from a rocket fell near her after the strike” in the town in Wasit Province. A local health official confirmed her death and said another person was seriously wounded.

The military base belongs to the Popular Mobilization Forces, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, a former paramilitary coalition that has since been integrated into Iraq’s regular army. The base also hosts brigades from Iran-backed groups, including the US-blacklisted Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

By Vafa Guliyeva