Iraqi Officials Suspect Israel Targeted Chinese Air Defense Systems Held by Militias

Iraqi authorities have concluded that Israel is likely responsible for recent strikes on two locations where Iranian-backed militias stored shoulder-fired air defense systems. According to sources cited by the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday, these weapons are of Chinese origin and were supplied by Tehran. The strikes reportedly occurred last week, targeting specific sites where the armed groups had secured their inventory.

The details of the incident remain partially unconfirmed, with the report noting that specific evidence was limited. One source indicated that the militia in charge of the storage site considered the location extremely difficult to detect or reach. The timing of the suspected attack was notable, as it took place shortly after the shipments arrived at both locations. The report did not specify which exact model of the Chinese system was involved in the strikes.

A separate explosion on October 17 at a base of the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, appears related to this pattern of incidents. The PMF, an umbrella body that includes many Iranian-backed militias and serves as an Iraqi government paramilitary force, initially described the blast as an accident. However, the newspaper reported that it hit a stockpile of obsolete ammunition at a headquarters in Baghdad's East Canal area, injuring five people. An anonymous Iraqi official stated that authorities were still investigating the circumstances, even though more than a week had passed without an official update.

These events follow an incident on October 1, when warehouses linked to Iran-backed groups in and around Baghdad were affected. These facilities reportedly held stores of drones intended for suicide attacks and reconnaissance missions. A security official told the newspaper that while Iraqi authorities had not definitively determined the nature of the strikes, they had seen enough evidence to attribute them to Israel. This assessment aligns with a broader trend of Iraqi officials pointing to Israel in previous conflicts, including strikes in 2019 and near the border in Syria.

The geopolitical stakes have risen sharply since the US and Israel began airstrikes in February. Iran has sought to turn Iraq into a frontline, carrying out more than 1,000 strikes on the Kurdistan Region using drones and missiles. Allied militias have mounted 600 attacks across Iraq, some targeting US diplomatic sites. The US withdrew its forces from Iraq on September 30, a deadline agreed with Baghdad, and has since warned Americans against traveling to Baghdad.

The newspaper linked these movements to earlier reports of China supplying weapons to Iran, though that connection remains unconfirmed. China's Foreign Ministry denied those reports in late July. Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a collection of militias that has attacked both Israel and the US, published a statement claiming Iraqi airspace was being violated. A source within the Shi'ite Coordination Framework noted that ruling party leaders had predicted renewed war between Washington and Tehran would begin with the destruction of the Iraqi factions' capabilities. Most major PMF groups, except the Badr Organization, are sanctioned by the US as terrorist organizations.