US strike kills 7 PMF fighters at base in western Iraq's Anbar province

A US strike struck a Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) base in western Iraq's Anbar province, killing 7 PMF fighters and wounding 13 others, according to a PMF source cited by AFP and reported in the Times of Israel March 24 liveblog. The PMF is formally part of Iraq's regular army but includes numerous pro-Iranian factions. The strike represents an extension of US military action against Iran-aligned armed groups beyond the direct Iran-Israel conflict zone, consistent with the broader US posture of targeting pro-Iranian proxies across Iraq and Syria during the ongoing war. Anbar province in western Iraq borders Syria and has historically hosted US-designated terrorist organizations and PMF factions that have conducted rocket attacks on US assets. This strike occurs during Trump's five-day power plant pause, suggesting the US continues kinetic operations against Iran-aligned proxies even while pursuing diplomacy with Tehran directly.