4 weeks ago
1 of 3 | Iraq's Camp Kalsu, shown present successful 2011 while it was still a U.S. subject guardant operating base, was rocked a bid of explosions overnight Saturday successful which 1 personification was killed and 8 injured. The victims were members of nan Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces. File Photo by Capt. Michael Lovas/U.S. Army
April 20 (UPI) -- Overnight explosions astatine an Iraqi subject guidelines not acold from nan superior Baghdad connected Saturday near 1 personification dormant and astatine slightest 8 others pinch degrees of injuries, officials said.
The explosions occurred astir 1 a.m. section clip Saturday, injuring members of an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, nan Popular Mobilization Forces.
"An detonation and occurrence occurred wrong (Camp Kalsu) northbound of Babil Governorate connected nan world line, which includes nan office of nan army, police, and Popular Mobilization Forces," Iraq's Security Media Cell said connected X.
"A specialized higher method committee from civilian defense and different applicable groups was formed to find nan causes of nan detonation and fires astatine nan tract and surroundings of nan mishap area."
The United States said it was progressive successful nan explosions contempt claims to nan contrary.
In a station connected X Friday evening, U.S. Central Command denied it had launched aerial strikes connected Camp Kalsu, a associated subject guidelines 20 miles southbound of Baghdad that antecedently served arsenic a guardant operating American subject base.
"We are alert of reports claiming that nan United States conducted airstrikes successful Iraq today," CENTCOM said. "Those reports are not true. The United States has not conducted aerial strikes successful Iraq today."
Iraqi subject officials acknowledged officials that nan U.S. subject was not involved.
"Two statements were issued by nan world conjugation forces successful Iraq and nan charismatic spokesperson for nan Pentagon indicating that location is nary aerial activity aliases subject action passim Babylon, while nan Air Defense Command study confirmed, done method efforts and radar detection, that location is nary drone aliases combatant level successful nan airspace of Babylon earlier and during nan explosion," nan government said.
The guidelines was an U.S. subject associated forces guidelines until 2011 erstwhile it was handed complete to nan Iraqi military.
Iraq has said it wants American and different Western subject forces retired of nan state aft U.S. forces successful January carried retired a drone strike successful Baghdad that killed nan leader of an Iranian proxy group.
The cognition drew punctual condemnation from Iraq, which later called it "a clear aggression and usurpation of Iraqi sovereignty."
Saturday's explosions came aft Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani visited Washington, D.C., where he met with U.S. President Joe Biden.
The 2 leaders discussed nan early of nan 2,500 U.S. troops stationed location amid renewed ISIS threats and increasing tensions successful nan Middle East.
