At least 20 killed in US-Saudi airstrikes in Iraq

At least 20 fighters from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a Shiite militia alliance, were killed and 32 wounded in joint US and Saudi airstrikes in at least seven provinces in Iraq, Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday (July 29).
The report said US and Saudi warplanes struck various military positions in Baghdad, Wasit, Nineveh, Basra, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala. The state-backed paramilitary force said the damage and casualties were preliminary; the number could rise after an on-the-ground assessment.
The US Central Command and the Saudi Air Force said the airstrikes were in response to drone attacks by Iran-backed groups over the past 72 hours. Several key PMF buildings, military vehicles and weapons were severely damaged in the armed attack. The Iraqi government has already called a high-level emergency meeting to bring the situation under control, citing allegations of law enforcement and sovereignty violations.