A dangerous fire broke out at a large weapons depot belonging to an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, causing devastating explosions that reportedly killed one person and wounded 29 others
The depot, run by a militia group under the umbrella of the most-powerful Iranian proxy, the Popular Mobilization Forces, was located inside a federal police base in the southern suburbs of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
According to a security source, the facility stored short-range and Katyusha missiles. A spokesperson for the district’s health directorate said, “The fire set off some of the rockets which struck neighborhoods several kilometers away and injuring mainly children.” A local mosque and nearby shops were also severely damaged from the blast.
An Iraqi police source, “the fire was probably caused by negligence leading to poor storage conditions and high temperatures.” Nevertheless, Authorities were not satisfied with this investigation and have ordered an investigation into the deadly incident.