20 Iraqi soldiers killed and wounded in an airstrike targeting a medical site in Anbar

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced today, Wednesday, an aerial attack targeting military and medical facilities in the Anbar province, located in the west of the country. The raid resulted in the death of seven armed forces personnel and the injury of thirteen others with varying degrees of wounds, while rescue teams continue search and sweep operations at the incident site.

In an official statement, the ministry confirmed that the bombing hit the Habbaniyah military clinic and an administrative site belonging to it, considering this act a dangerous escalation that crosses all red lines. The authorities stressed that targeting medical facilities is a violation of international conventions that protect health workers and humanitarian facilities in conflict zones.

For its part, security sources reported that the attacking aircraft targeted a vital headquarters inside Al-Habbaniyah Air Base, located east of Ramadi city. The targeted site includes joint units from the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces, which led to severe human and material losses among the two parties present there.

According to sources, civil defense teams rushed to the scene of the explosions to control the widespread fires that erupted as a result of the concentrated aerial bombardment. The military hospital inside the base suffered significant structural damage, which hampered the provision of first aid to the injured in the first moments of the attack.

Iraqi airspace is witnessing a state of severe tension, with intense military aircraft activity observed over Anbar province, and the sound of sonic booms heard over the capital Baghdad. This attack comes just two days after Al-Habbaniyah Air Base was subjected to similar raids, indicating a continuous wave of escalation in the region.

In the context of official responses, the spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces affirmed that all security formations, including the Popular Mobilization Forces, are authorized to respond to any external aggression. He clarified that the principle of self-defense has become the primary driver for upcoming military movements to ensure the protection of national sovereignty and armed forces headquarters.

It is worth noting that the Ministerial Council for National Security, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, had issued a decision granting security forces broad powers to respond to attacks. These developments follow previous strikes that led to the killing of prominent Popular Mobilization Forces leaders, placing Iraq at the heart of regional and international tensions.

This targeting is a blatant and dangerous violation of all international laws and norms that prohibit targeting medical facilities and their staff.