A member of the Iraqi's Popular Mobilisation Forces (Hashed al-Shaabi) stands guard during the funeral of the 16 members killed in US airstrikes.

• Airstrikes killed Iraq’s Shi’ite Popular Mobilisation Forces commander, Saad al-Baiji.
• The bombing targeted a base in Anbar province during a commanders’ meeting.
• The PMF accused the US of carrying out the attack.

Airstrikes targeting a site belonging to Iraq’s Shi’ite Popular Mobilisation Forces in the western province of Anbar killed at least ‌15 fighters, including the PMF’s Anbar operations commander, and wounded 30 others, security and health sources told Reuters early on Tuesday.

The PMF confirmed in a statement the death of its Anbar commander, Saad al-Baiji, and ⁠several of his companions.

It accused the US of carrying out the attack, saying a US airstrike targeted a command headquarters while personnel were on duty.

The strikes targeted the PMF headquarters during a security meeting attended by senior commanders, the sources added.

AFP confirmed reporting on the strike.

The bombing targeted a base in Anbar province during a commanders’ meeting, a source from the group told AFP on condition of anonymity, blaming the United States for the attack.

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Seven Hashed al-Shaabi fighters were “killed and 13 wounded in a US strike”, the source added.

A security official told AFP that the wounded were being treated at a hospital.

Iraq has been unwillingly pulled into the war triggered by Israel and the United States striking Iran on 28 February.

Pro-Iran armed groups have claimed responsibility for attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the region, while strikes have also targeted these groups.

Since the start of the conflict, Baghdad has repeatedly denounced attacks on the Hashed al-Shaabi.

Last week, the Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that combat helicopters had carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the latest conflict.

The PMF, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an umbrella group of ‌mostly ⁠Shi’ite paramilitary factions that was formally integrated into Iraq’s state security forces and includes several groups aligned with Iran.

Tehran-backed armed groups have launched attacks on US bases in Iraq since the ⁠outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran in February, raising fears of a wider regional escalation.

The conflict has spilled beyond Iran’s ⁠borders, with Tehran launching strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting US military installations, while Israel ⁠has carried out attacks in Lebanon following cross-border fire by Iran-aligned Hezbollah.