Iraqi leaders meet following 'divisions' within Iran-linked militia coalition

Iraqi political and military leaders met on Thursday to discuss a crisis over alleged Israeli or US strikes on militia bases in the country, which is thought to have caused divisions among the Iran-linked paramilitaries.

President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mohammed al-Halboosi discussed the security situation in Iraq after weapons' depots belonging to the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) were subject to explosions this week.

The leaders said they would await the results of an investigation to decide on what course of action to take.

Divisions

Faleh al-Fayyadh, head of the PMF - or Hashd al-Shaabi - said an outside force was likely responsible for the blasts.

"Preliminary investigations" found the incidents were "an external, premeditated act," he said.

Hours earlier his deputy, Abu Mehdi al-Muhandis, blamed the US for the strikes.

"We announce that the first and last entity responsible for what happened are American forces, and we will hold them responsible for whatever happens from today onwards," Muhandis said.

He said the attacks were carried out by "agents or in special operations with modern airplanes".

Iraq Report: Suspected Israeli airstrikes worry Iraqi politicians

Fayyadh said Muhandis' comments "does not represent the Hashd's official position".

Analysts believe the contradictory comments could belie a rift within the militia coalition, which have been accused of serving as Iranian proxies in Iraq.

Blasts

The series of explosions have also been blamed on Israel, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu hinting that his country was behind the attacks.

Israeli media have shown satellite images of Al-Balad airbase near Baghdad and a series of PMF bases along the road to Syria.

Tehran is thought to be establishing a land corridor from Iran to Lebanon, via Iraq and Syria, and the strikes appear to correspondent with this alleged supply route.

Iran has a strong military or militia presence in Iraq and Syria and backs Lebanese movement Hizballah.

Israel has carried out a series of air strikes on Tehran-run militias in Syria and warned it would hit Iranian military bases elsewhere in the region.

The PMF is mostly made up of former Shia militias that fought the US during its occupation of the Iraq from 2003.

They were later mobilised - along with Christian, Sunni and Kurdish militias - to fight the Islamic State group following a jihadi takeover of northern Iraq in 2014.

The PMF were officially exluded by Baghdad from the battles for major cities, fearing retaliation against the Sunni civilian population, but the militia coalition is part of the Iraqi armed forces.