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US strikes PMF bases in Iraq as Iran-linked militias hit Baghdad daily

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Key Developments
  • ▸The US Embassy in Baghdad issued a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' alert on April 2, warning that Iran-aligned militia groups may intend to conduct imminent attacks in central Baghdad, and ordering all US citizens to leave Iraq immediately, the US Embassy Baghdad stated.
  • ▸A US airstrike on March 25 hit a military medical clinic at Habbaniyah base in Anbar province, killing seven members of the Iraqi Armed Forces and wounding 13; Baghdad called it a 'heinous aggression' and a violation of international law, while the US denied it targeted a clinic, according to Al Jazeera and the Washington Post.
  • ▸Since the broader US-Iran war began on February 28, US forces have conducted regular airstrikes against PMF positions across Iraq, including strikes on March 23 (15 PMF fighters killed at Habbaniyah), March 28 (at least three killed near Kirkuk Airport), March 31 (two killed in Anbar), and April 1 (a commander and three fighters killed in Nineveh), according to Wikipedia's Iraq-in-the-2026-Iran-war article.
  • ▸Iran-aligned militias have launched drone and rocket attacks targeting US diplomatic and military sites, oil and gas infrastructure, airports in Baghdad and Erbil, hotels, and Iraqi government facilities — including a March 21 strike on the Iraqi National Intelligence Service headquarters that killed one officer, according to the Atlantic Council.
  • ▸On March 27, the US and Iraq announced the launch of a new High Joint Coordination Committee in what the Atlantic Council described as a hastily convened effort to defuse tensions over US strikes that have killed Iraqi military personnel.

US strikes PMF bases in Iraq as Iran-linked militias hit Baghdad daily

Confidence: MEDIUM (72/100)  |  April 08, 2026  |  Washington, United States

US strikes PMF bases in Iraq as Iran-linked militias hit Baghdad daily aljazeera.com

In one sentence: US airstrikes on Iran-linked Iraqi militias and retaliatory drone attacks on US bases are escalating across Iraq, killing soldiers on both sides and straining US-Iraqi relations.

Why it matters: Iraq has become an active secondary front in the broader 2026 US-Iran war, with US strikes on PMF bases killing regular Iraqi soldiers — a development Baghdad calls a violation of international law. The Iraqi government's caretaker status and the militias' deep penetration of Iraqi state institutions leaves Baghdad structurally unable to restrain the groups, meaning the cycle of strikes and counter-strikes is likely to persist with no clear off-ramp.

What Happened Today

  • The US Embassy in Baghdad issued a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' alert on April 2, warning that Iran-aligned militia groups may intend to conduct imminent attacks in central Baghdad, and ordering all US citizens to leave Iraq immediately, the US Embassy Baghdad stated.
  • A US airstrike on March 25 hit a military medical clinic at Habbaniyah base in Anbar province, killing seven members of the Iraqi Armed Forces and wounding 13; Baghdad called it a 'heinous aggression' and a violation of international law, while the US denied it targeted a clinic, according to Al Jazeera and the Washington Post.
  • Since the broader US-Iran war began on February 28, US forces have conducted regular airstrikes against PMF positions across Iraq, including strikes on March 23 (15 PMF fighters killed at Habbaniyah), March 28 (at least three killed near Kirkuk Airport), March 31 (two killed in Anbar), and April 1 (a commander and three fighters killed in Nineveh), according to Wikipedia's Iraq-in-the-2026-Iran-war article.
  • Iran-aligned militias have launched drone and rocket attacks targeting US diplomatic and military sites, oil and gas infrastructure, airports in Baghdad and Erbil, hotels, and Iraqi government facilities — including a March 21 strike on the Iraqi National Intelligence Service headquarters that killed one officer, according to the Atlantic Council.
  • On March 27, the US and Iraq announced the launch of a new High Joint Coordination Committee in what the Atlantic Council described as a hastily convened effort to defuse tensions over US strikes that have killed Iraqi military personnel.

Contested Claims

  • Iraqi government, as reported by Al Jazeera and the Washington Post: The US strike on March 25 at Habbaniyah hit a military medical clinic, killing seven Iraqi soldiers — an act Baghdad called a violation of international law. US government, as reported by the Washington Post: The US denied that it targeted a medical clinic in the March 25 strike.
  • Islamic Resistance in Iraq, as reported by Wikipedia: Pro-Iranian militia groups claimed responsibility for downing two US Air Force KC-135 tankers that collided and crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew. US officials, as reported by Wikipedia: US officials denied that the KC-135s were shot down, attributing the crash to a mid-air collision.

Unverified / Single Source

  • (Unverified — single source; the US has not publicly acknowledged the strike) A US strike on March 13 in the Karrada neighborhood of Baghdad was intended to kill Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, leader of Kata'ib Hizballah; reporting suggests it killed three people but Hamidawi survived with minor injuries. [Atlantic Council (citing unnamed reporting)]
  • (Unverified — state media only; not independently corroborated) Iran-aligned resistance groups conducted six separate strike operations against US bases in Iraq within a single 24-hour period around April 3, including drone strikes on American positions in Erbil. [GlobalSecurity.org (sourcing Press TV, Iranian state media)]

Key Figures

MetricValueSource
Iraqi soldiers killed in US strike on Habbaniyah military clinic, March 257 killed, 13 woundedIraqi government, Al Jazeera
PMF fighters killed in US strike on Habbaniyah base, March 2315, including a commanderWikipedia / Iraq in the 2026 Iran war
US military airmen killed in KC-135 crash in western Iraq, March 126US CENTCOM, Al Jazeera
Confirmed US military fatalities from Iranian and militia attacks across the region13Al Jazeera death toll tracker
PMF fighters killed near Kirkuk International Airport, March 28at least 3 killed, 4 woundedWikipedia / Iraq in the 2026 Iran war

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the US striking targets inside Iraq if Iraq is not the enemy? US forces are targeting Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militia groups inside Iraq that have been launching drone and rocket attacks on US diplomatic and military sites. The PMF operates semi-independently within Iraq's security architecture, and the Iraqi government lacks the political power or will to restrain the most extreme factions, according to the Atlantic Council.

What is the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and why does it operate in Iraq? The PMF is an umbrella of mostly Shia armed groups formally incorporated into Iraq's security forces after the 2014 ISIS crisis. The most extreme factions — including Kata'ib Hizballah and Harakat al-Nujaba — are ideologically aligned with Iran and respond to Tehran's direction. They have penetrated Iraq's political, security, and economic institutions, making them difficult for Baghdad to confront, per the Atlantic Council.

How is Iraq's government responding to US strikes on its territory? Baghdad has condemned US strikes as violations of sovereignty and international law, particularly after seven Iraqi soldiers were killed on March 25. Iraq and the US launched a joint coordination committee on March 27 to manage tensions. However, Iraq's caretaker government and political gridlock leave it structurally weak, limiting its ability to either restrain militias or compel a US pullback, according to the Atlantic Council.

Background

Iraq became an active secondary front in the 2026 US-Iran war that began February 28, when the US and Israel launched surprise strikes on Iran. Iran-aligned Iraqi militias — chiefly factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces — immediately joined Iran's retaliatory campaign, attacking US military and diplomatic sites across Iraq. The US has responded with airstrikes against PMF positions, creating a dual conflict in which both sides are striking targets on Iraqi soil while Baghdad's caretaker government lacks the capacity to restrain either party.

Sources

US strikes PMF bases in Iraq as Iran-linked militias hit Baghdad daily
Image via aljazeera.com
Source Verification
✓ Verified Facts
  • ✓The US Embassy in Baghdad issued a Level 4 'Do Not Travel' alert on April 2, warning that Iran-aligned militia groups may intend to conduct imminent attacks in central Baghdad, and ordering all US citizens to leave Iraq immediately, the US Embassy Baghdad stated.
  • ✓A US airstrike on March 25 hit a military medical clinic at Habbaniyah base in Anbar province, killing seven members of the Iraqi Armed Forces and wounding 13; Baghdad called it a 'heinous aggression' and a violation of international law, while the US denied it targeted a clinic, according to Al Jazeera and the Washington Post.
  • ✓Since the broader US-Iran war began on February 28, US forces have conducted regular airstrikes against PMF positions across Iraq, including strikes on March 23 (15 PMF fighters killed at Habbaniyah), March 28 (at least three killed near Kirkuk Airport), March 31 (two killed in Anbar), and April 1 (a commander and three fighters killed in Nineveh), according to Wikipedia's Iraq-in-the-2026-Iran-war article.
  • ✓Iran-aligned militias have launched drone and rocket attacks targeting US diplomatic and military sites, oil and gas infrastructure, airports in Baghdad and Erbil, hotels, and Iraqi government facilities — including a March 21 strike on the Iraqi National Intelligence Service headquarters that killed one officer, according to the Atlantic Council.
  • ✓On March 27, the US and Iraq announced the launch of a new High Joint Coordination Committee in what the Atlantic Council described as a hastily convened effort to defuse tensions over US strikes that have killed Iraqi military personnel.
⚠ Disputed Claims
  • ⚠
    Iraqi government, as reported by Al Jazeera and the Washington Post
    The US strike on March 25 at Habbaniyah hit a military medical clinic, killing seven Iraqi soldiers — an act Baghdad called a violation of international law.
    vs
    US government, as reported by the Washington Post
    The US denied that it targeted a medical clinic in the March 25 strike.
  • ⚠
    Islamic Resistance in Iraq, as reported by Wikipedia
    Pro-Iranian militia groups claimed responsibility for downing two US Air Force KC-135 tankers that collided and crashed in western Iraq on March 12, killing all six crew.
    vs
    US officials, as reported by Wikipedia
    US officials denied that the KC-135s were shot down, attributing the crash to a mid-air collision.
○ Unconfirmed
  • ○
    A US strike on March 13 in the Karrada neighborhood of Baghdad was intended to kill Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, leader of Kata'ib Hizballah; reporting suggests it killed three people but Hamidawi survived with minor injuries.(Atlantic Council (citing unnamed reporting))
  • ○
    Iran-aligned resistance groups conducted six separate strike operations against US bases in Iraq within a single 24-hour period around April 3, including drone strikes on American positions in Erbil.(GlobalSecurity.org (sourcing Press TV, Iranian state media))
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the US striking targets inside Iraq if Iraq is not the enemy?
US forces are targeting Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militia groups inside Iraq that have been launching drone and rocket attacks on US diplomatic and military sites. The PMF operates semi-independently within Iraq's security architecture, and the Iraqi government lacks the political power or will to restrain the most extreme factions, according to the Atlantic Council.
What is the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and why does it operate in Iraq?
The PMF is an umbrella of mostly Shia armed groups formally incorporated into Iraq's security forces after the 2014 ISIS crisis. The most extreme factions — including Kata'ib Hizballah and Harakat al-Nujaba — are ideologically aligned with Iran and respond to Tehran's direction. They have penetrated Iraq's political, security, and economic institutions, making them difficult for Baghdad to confront, per the Atlantic Council.
How is Iraq's government responding to US strikes on its territory?
Baghdad has condemned US strikes as violations of sovereignty and international law, particularly after seven Iraqi soldiers were killed on March 25. Iraq and the US launched a joint coordination committee on March 27 to manage tensions. However, Iraq's caretaker government and political gridlock leave it structurally weak, limiting its ability to either restrain militias or compel a US pullback, according to the Atlantic Council.