US-Saudi strikes in Iraq kill 20, including Iranians

U.S.-Saudi strikes on Iraq killed at least 20 militants, including several Iranians, on Wednesday, according to the Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed Iraqi alliance that includes pro-Iran groups.

The United States and Saudi Arabia said they had struck Iran-backed armed militants in Iraq in response to attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi oil facilities.

Washington and Tehran are Iraq's main allies, but their enmity has long turned the country into a proxy battleground and left successive governments struggling to maintain a delicate balance between the foes.

The Hashed al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), said that at least 20 fighters "were martyred and another 32 wounded according to a preliminary toll."

Two Hashed officials told AFP that five Iranian advisors were among those killed in a strike in the central province of Diyala.

AFP correspondents saw coffins wrapped in Iranian flags during a funeral organised by the Hashed al-Shaabi in Baghdad for those killed.

The Hashed alliance was created in 2014 to fight jihadists before it was formally integrated into the Iraqi armed forces.

It now includes brigades belonging to Iran-backed groups reputed for acting unilaterally.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government, according to Fox News.

They follow growing U.S. pressure on Baghdad to disarm pro-Iran armed groups, which have frequently targeted U.S. facilities in the country and have long called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who came to power this year with Washington's blessing, vowed to ensure those groups would hand over their weapons, but has faced pushback from some powerful factions.

Earlier this month, Zaidi visited both the United States and Iran.

AFP