Deadly Strike Hits Jurf al-Nasr Area in Iraq, Casualties Reported

(MENAFN) Two people were killed and three others injured in a strike on the Jurf al-Nasr area in Iraq’s Babil province, according to the Iraqi army. Local media reported that a missile hit a site belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces.

In the United Arab Emirates, the Defense Ministry confirmed that an Asian national was killed when debris fell in a residential area during the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles targeting a US base south of Abu Dhabi. The ministry said air defenses successfully shot down several missiles, but fragments caused material damage and the fatality.

Earlier, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein that Tehran would continue defending itself and that its response would target US military bases in the region, citing Iran’s right to self-defense.

The strikes occurred shortly after Israel launched a “preemptive” operation against Iran early Saturday under the name “Lion’s Roar,” declaring a “special and immediate” state of emergency across the country. US President Donald Trump later stated that American forces had launched “major combat operations” in Iran aimed at “protecting the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.”

These attacks come amid ongoing nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Oman, with the most recent round of talks in Geneva concluding on Thursday.

The escalation follows previous US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during the 12-day Israel-Iran war last June.

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