Al-Hashd al-Shaabi demand US coalition explanation on rocket that targeted meeting
Al-Hashd al-Shaabi fighters near Mosul.
In a statement, al-Hashed al-Shaabi, the mainly-Shia paramilitary fighting Islamic State extremists on the Iraqi government’s side, ruled out that the missile, which landed only one meter and a half from the convocation, could have been fired by the extremist group.
“Yesterday, at 4:30 pm, a tent hosting a meeting by al-Hashd al-Shaabi was targeted by a missile, shortly after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had left, leaving a number of fighters wounded,” read the statement. “Inspecting the rocket’s remains, it was concluded that it had not been fired by ISIS terrorists; it was a laser-guided missile fired by an aircraft,” the statement added,noting that coalition drones were roaming the area at the time of the meeting.
Highlighting the coalition’s control over the airspace of western Mosul, the statement demanded “an explanation” for the incident.
However, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, a high-profile leader within the militia, said the airport is regularly shelled by ISIS.
Al-Hashed al-Shaabi said Friday it launched a fifth phase of operations seeking to retake the flashpoint town of Tal Afar from ISIS, deeming the anticipated takeover as a major step towards encircling the group inside Iraq and cutting its supply and escape routes to and from Syria.