US-Saudi strikes in Iraq kill 20
- Last updated: July 29, 2026 | 11:28
US-Saudi strikes on Iraq on Wednesday killed at least 20 members of a former paramilitary alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, the alliance said.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an alliance of former paramilitary groups and factions now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces, said at least 20 fighters "were martyred and another 32 wounded according to a preliminary toll" following the US-Saudi strikes on its bases in seven provinces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi called an emergency meeting of the country’s National Security Council on Wednesday to discuss the strikes.
"US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck multiple terrorist logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq in a strong response to over 30 IRGC-directed aerial drone attacks in the last 72 hours,” US Central Command said, using an acronym for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
It said the Revolutionary Guard "and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further US military response.”
The Saudi Defense Ministry acknowledged the strikes in a post on social media, warning that "the Kingdom emphasizes that it does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression it faces.”
The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of primarily Shiite, Iran-backed armed groups that is officially under the command of the Iraqi military, said in a statement that at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 others wounded in the overnight strikes on its sites in several parts of Iraq.
The groups making up the PMF joined in the fight against the Islamic State group after it seized large sections of Iraq in 2014.
Agencies