Baghdad: Thursday's newspapers highlighted a wave of official and popular condemnation in response to airstrikes launched by US and Saudi forces targeting the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) headquarters across seven Iraqi provinces.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the semi-official Al-Sabah newspaper, affiliated with the Iraqi Media Network, reported that since Wednesday morning, Iraqi public and political circles have been expressing outrage over the aggressive military actions. The National Security Council held an emergency meeting, chaired by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zubaidi, to assess the security implications and plan countermeasures.
The newspaper detailed that the Council expressed strong condemnation of the attack, which coincided with ongoing government communications with the American and Saudi sides over security issues relating to Saudi territory. In response, the Council decided to devise a comprehensive security plan to protect Iraq's sovereignty and prevent further territorial violations. It also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take necessary actions under international law to uphold Iraq's rights.
Earlier assessments from the Popular Mobilization Forces indicated that 20 members were killed and 32 wounded in the airstrikes targeting their headquarters and military vehicles in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala, and Diyala. Specialist committees are continuing to document the damages.
The Iraqi newspaper Al-Zaman reported that the airstrikes have had significant repercussions on Iraq's political and security contexts. Political figures have issued statements condemning the violation of Iraqi sovereignty and advocating for crisis resolution and prevention of future occurrences.
The Security Media Cell confirmed that Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi convened the National Security Council in response to the evolving situation. The Presidency of the Republic also condemned the attacks, emphasizing their breach of Iraqi sovereignty and contravention of international law.
Al-Zawraa newspaper, affiliated with the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate, reported that PMF sites were subjected to a treacherous bombing, with political forces condemning the US-Saudi military actions. Prime Minister al-Zaidi visited PMF headquarters to receive a briefing on the attacks and directed that support be provided to the families of the deceased and the injured.
Spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief, Sabah al-Nu'man, reiterated that the National Security Council meeting was crucial in addressing the security developments following the airstrikes that resulted in civilian casualties.