BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Hashed al Shaabi accused Israel of a deadly drone attack on Sunday that left one paramilitary fighter dead, the first time the force has directly blamed the Jewish state for such a raid.

The attack struck a position held by Brigade 45, a Hashed al-Shaabi unit based near Al-Qaim about 15km from Iraq’s western desertic border with Syria.

It is the latest in a string of explosions and drone sightings at Hashed bases that have sparked concern of a possible proxy war between Iran, the US, and Israel on Iraqi soil — or in its airspace.

“As part of the string of Zionist attacks on Iraq, the evil Israeli crows have returned to target the Hashed al-Shaabi, this time with two drones inside Iraqi territory,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2019