Hashd Al-Shaabi blames US-backed terrorists for Saturday attack

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A senior official of Hashd al-Shaabi said that the Saturday attack against the Iraqi popular forces was conducted by the ISIL terrorists who are supported by Washington.

“Most terrorist groups enter Iraq from Syria with the US help. When we speak about the ISIL in Iraq, actually, we mean the terrorist groups which are supported by certain world states,” Head of Hashd al-Shaabi’s Information Center Muhannad al-Iqabi said in an interview with the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news channel on Sunday.

He said that the ISIL carried out the terrorist attack which lasted for several hours from four fronts in Salahuddin province and used a number of new military equipment.

Al-Iqabi said that a part of the attack was conducted by boats but the terrorists faced the Iraqi security forces’ crushing response.

His remarks after at least 10 Iraqi fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Shabi, were killed in an attack by the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group in Salahuddin Province.

The coordinated assault which took place in the cities of Mekeeshfa and Balad, led to clashes between PMU forces and the ISIL terrorists on several fronts, the paramilitary group announced on Saturday.

The PMU further said its fighters have now taken control of the situation, adding the Iraqi government has also sent reinforcements to supplement efforts and prepare for a possible retaliatory attack.

Iraq's Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi has paid tribute to families of those who were killed, according to a statement circulated by Iraqi media.

"With great sadness, we received news of the martyrdom of a group of heroes from among the Hashd al-Shabi who died defending their homeland in the face of ISIL attacks in the Mekeeshfah and Balad areas north of Baghdad," the statement read.

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