Iraq\u2019s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) say US forces in the country have carried out an airstrike on a number of their facilities in the western Anbar province, reporting casualties.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n According to early reports, five facilities run by the Iraqi PMU forces in Anbar province and neighboring Syria were targeted in the attack on Sunday, which has left casualties, including several people dead.<\/span><\/p>\n Reuters quoted PMU and other Iraqi military sources as saying that several Iraqi fighters were killed in the airstrike on their headquarters near the western Qaim district in Iraq\u2019s Anbar province close to the border with Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n The report added that the strike was likely carried out by drones and ambulances were seen heading to the area.<\/span><\/p>\n The attack came after American officials said on Friday that a \u201cUS civilian contractor\u201d had been killed in, what they described as, a rocket attack targeting an Iraqi military base housing US and Iraqi forces in the Arab country\u2019s north.<\/span><\/p>\n Several US service members and Iraqi personnel were also wounded in the reported incident, Reuters added, citing a US-led military coalition, which has stationed itself in Iraq under the pretext of fighting the Takfiri terror group of Daesh.<\/span><\/p>\n Shortly after the attack, the US Department of Defense, Pentagon, issued a statement<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, announcing that it had carried out what it called “defensive strikes” in Iraq and Syria against the PMU facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n The Pentagon added that it had targeted three locations of the Iraqi fighters in Iraq and two in Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n The Pentagon says the raids targeted weapon storage facilities and command control locations, claiming that the bombings were in response to attacks targeting American forces in Iraq. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n U.S. conducted defensive strikes in Iraq and Syria against 5 Kata'ib Hezbollah facilities in response to recent attacks against @OIR<\/a> coalition forces.https:\/\/t.co\/yvc1nIjMav<\/a><\/p>\n — Jonathan Hoffman (@ChiefPentSpox) December 29, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n