A two-car convoy has been hit in a new airstrike in northern Baghdad, local media reported.
The airstrike reportedly left six dead, according to Reuters, citing sources.
Following the initial reports claiming that a targeted vehicle was carrying senior leaders, the Popular Mobilizations Forces (PMF) issued a statement, saying that "the strike targeted a convoy of Popular Mobilisation Forces medics".
PMF also refuted reports regarding death of several senior officials, including Shebl Al-Zaidi, Hamid Al-Jazaeri, Raed Al-Karawi.
Hezbollah Military Media quoting PMF: Shibl al-Zaydi, Hamed al-Jazairi, and Raid al-Karawi were not killed https://t.co/l5EdsMLjbY
— David A. Daoud (@DavidADaoud) January 4, 2020
Previous reports had claimed that the targeted vehicles carried at least two senior Popular Mobilizations Forces (PMF) officials.
While some reports suggested that the parties involved in the incident are unknown, others claimed that the US attacked a PMF convoy carrying the commander of the Kataib Imam Ali militia, Shbl al-Zaidi, and other yet-to-be-identified PMF leaders.
#BREAKING: Reports indicate that Shbl al-Zaidi, commander of Kataib Imam Ali militia, was targeted by a US airstrike near Taji, northern Baghdad.#Iraq pic.twitter.com/AbuHaUPt7p
— Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) January 3, 2020
Conflicting reports were emerging that al-Zaidi was not killed in the attack as he was reported to have been in Lebanon.
Al-Zaidi in a tweet denied his “martyrdom”.
— Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) January 3, 2020
Hamid al-Jazairi, Commander of Saraya al-Khurasani also denied his death.https://t.co/fdcG27hx3H https://t.co/ALTGHMQMFs
Al-Mayadeen reporter denies Shibl al-Zaydi was killed in tonight's airstrike in Iraq; claims al-Zaydi is in Lebanon pic.twitter.com/puBMHc9ADC
— David A. Daoud (@DavidADaoud) January 3, 2020
Another senior figure believed to be in one of the targeted convoy vehicles is reportedly named Qais al-Khazali.
#BREAKING #NOW
— Eva J. Koulouriotis - إيفا كولوريوتي (@evacool_) January 3, 2020
Some Iraqi media report that the leader of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia, Qais al-Khazali, and his brother, Laith al-Khazali, were killed in the burning convoy.#Iraq #Iran #IRGC #PMU #USA pic.twitter.com/bTOptl7nv1
Netizens shared alleged photos from the site of the incident.
#BREAKING #NOW
— Eva J. Koulouriotis - إيفا كولوريوتي (@evacool_) January 3, 2020
Image of the targeted convoy moments ago.#Iraq #Iran #IRGC #PMU #USA pic.twitter.com/ZNcj0BUXMm
Unconfirmed image from the reported assassination in N. Baghdad this evening, 7 people killed or wounded. pic.twitter.com/8n0Tk2Gmgi
— Danny Makki (@Dannymakkisyria) January 3, 2020
The US drone attack near the Baghdad airport which killed Soleimani was described by the Trump administration as a preemptive action against Soleimani to "stop a war". Tehran, however, said that the US crossed a "red line", vowing retaliation.
Heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran occurred earlier this week when the United States accused the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group of launching a 27 December attack on a US military base near the city of Kirkuk which killed a US contractor. In retaliation, the US launched a strike against Kataib Hezbollah's forces, killing about two dozen of its fighters, triggering Shiite protesters' attempts to storm the gates of the US embassy in Baghdad.
