Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) evacuated a base belonging to the 55th Brigade in western Al-Anbar province on Thursday, a security source said, as tensions escalate following a series of airstrikes on PMF positions across the country.

The base in Husaybah Al-Sharqiyah was fully cleared of personnel and vehicles as a precautionary measure, the source told Shafaq News, adding that the evacuation was carried out without incident.

The move came shortly after reports of internal disagreement within the PMF’s Al-Anbar operations command over a separate order to evacuate its headquarters in Al-Habbaniyah, which houses about 250 personnel.

According to sources, the operations commander ordered the facility cleared as a precaution, but the unit’s security director -who was outside the base- sent a message instructing personnel not to carry out the evacuation for the time being. The conflicting instructions left troops inside the compound uncertain over which order to follow.

The developments come as the PMF says its facilities across several Iraqi provinces have been targeted by 32 airstrikes since the start of the month, leaving 27 fighters dead and 50 wounded.

Earlier today, an airstrike also hit Camp Saqr south of Baghdad, killing one PMF member and wounding three others.