HIGHMILITARYVERIFIED
Drone strikes Iraq intelligence headquarters in Baghdad — 1 officer killed, 1 wounded; 'outlaw groups' blamed
·Baghdad, Iraq
A drone struck Iraq's intelligence headquarters in Baghdad on Day 22 (March 21), killing one officer and wounding a second. The Iraqi intelligence service blamed 'outlaw groups' — widely understood as a reference to Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF/Hashd al-Shaabi). The attack occurred at approximately 10am local Baghdad time.
A drone struck the headquarters of Iraq's national intelligence service in Baghdad at approximately 10am local time (07:00 UTC) on Day 22 (March 21, 2026). One officer was killed and a second was wounded, the Iraqi intelligence service said.
Iraq's intelligence service blamed 'outlaw groups' for the attack — standard Iraqi government language for Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which operate semi-independently and have conducted drone attacks on Iraqi government and US facilities throughout the conflict.
CONTEXT:
Iraq's intelligence HQ strike is notable because it targets the Iraqi state's own intelligence apparatus — not US facilities or Israeli interests. This suggests intra-Iraqi tension, with PMF factions either: (a) punishing the Iraqi government for cooperating with US intelligence-sharing on Iran, or (b) acting as Iranian proxies to destabilize the Iraqi state. Baghdad has maintained an awkward neutrality in the US-Iran war, hosting US forces while refusing to expel them.
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Actor responses
Iraqi intelligence service attributed the Baghdad HQ drone strike to 'outlaw groups' — standard language for Iran-aligned PMF factions. No group claimed responsibility.
No Iranian government comment on Baghdad intelligence HQ drone attack. PMF factions operating as Iranian proxies have targeted Iraqi state infrastructure throughout the conflict.
Sources