Military bases belonging to Iraq's official Hashd al-Shaabi forces came under heavy aerial bombardment in the first seven months of 2026. According to statements from the Hashd al-Shaabi Commission and government statistics, more than 165 airstrikes and drone attacks were carried out in this period. The attacks killed over 100 fighters and wounded about 300.
145 attacks in 40-day war period
According to a statement by the Hashd al-Shaabi Commission on April 10, 2026, 145 airstrikes and bombardments were recorded against bases across the country during the 40-day war period between February 28 and April 8, 2026. In these attacks, which included the US, Israel and Iran, 80 fighters were killed and nearly 270 wounded. Military bases, weapons depots and checkpoints in Anbar, Nineveh, Kirkuk and Salahuddin provinces were targeted.
Joint US-Saudi strikes
On July 29, 2026, Saudi Arabia, in coordination with the US, struck multiple Hashd al-Shaabi bases and facilities for the first time. In an emergency statement the same day, the Commission said that at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in the provinces of Baghdad, Basra, Nineveh, Wasit, Kirkuk, Karbala and Diyala. The attacks caused significant material damage to buildings, vehicles and military equipment; the casualty figures were emphasized as preliminary.
Reactions from Iraqi government and Hashd al-Shaabi
Following the attacks, Iraq's new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi urgently convened the National Security Council, but the government has yet to issue an official position. However, the office of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani had stated after the attacks during the 40-day war that targeting official security bases was a clear violation of Iraq's sovereignty. The Hashd al-Shaabi Commission also stressed that the casualty figures are preliminary as field work is ongoing.
Justification for attacks and US retaliation claim
The US Department of Defense has repeatedly said that the strikes are in response to rocket and drone attacks on American bases in Iraq, Syria and other countries in the region. Some groups within Hashd al-Shaabi, such as Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, also carry out attacks on US targets under the umbrella of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. US Central Command (CENTCOM) had announced that armed groups have carried out more than 600 attacks on American bases and facilities.
Origins and structure of Hashd al-Shaabi
The genesis of Hashd al-Shaabi traces back to the 'sufficiency jihad' fatwa issued by Iraq's highest Shia religious authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on June 13, 2014, after ISIS captured Mosul and several provinces. In 2016, Iraq's parliament passed Law No. 40, the Hashd al-Shaabi Commission Law, making the force an official military structure. According to official figures, the commission's current personnel and fighter strength is estimated between 200,000 and 238,000.
The groups within Hashd al-Shaabi do not form a single bloc; they are divided into three or four main political and ideological currents. These include pro-Iranian velayat-e faqih groups, groups close to Sistani, groups affiliated with the Sadrist movement that recently dissolved itself, and units representing component communities such as Sunnis, Christians, Shabak, Yazidis and Turkmen.
The commission is chaired by Falih al-Fayyadh, while former Kataib Hezbollah commander Abdulaziz al-Muhammadawi serves as chief of staff. With tens of thousands of trained fighters, heavy weapons and political influence, Hashd al-Shaabi has become an institution without whose consent few decisive security or political decisions can be taken in Iraq.
