Strike kills 3 PMF fighters in Kirkuk, Iraq — PMF blames 'Zionist-American' attack

Three fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF / Hashed al-Shaabi) — an Iranian-backed paramilitary coalition formally integrated into Iraq's regular armed forces — were killed in a strike in the Kirkuk area of northern Iraq, with four others wounded. The PMF issued a statement attributing the attack to the US and Israel, calling it a 'treacherous Zionist-American attack.' Neither the IDF nor US CENTCOM issued immediate statements claiming responsibility. The Kirkuk area is a strategic node in northern Iraq: it lies between the Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Duhok) and central Iraq, and PMF units in the area have been linked to proxy attacks on US and Israeli targets. The strike comes hours after a drone hit the KRG president's residence in Duhok, painting a picture of two-way violence in northern Iraq: Iranian proxy attacks on KRG, and US/Israeli strikes on PMF assets. Both the IDF and US have previously struck PMF/Kataib Hezbollah targets in Iraq and Syria throughout the conflict.