Iraqi Officials Suspect Israel Targeted Chinese Air Defense Stockpiles

Ordinary Iraqis are facing a renewed sense of instability as officials in Baghdad point the finger at Israel for recent explosions that targeted weapons storage sites. Sources tell the London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that authorities suspect the strikes hit two locations where Iranian-backed militias kept shoulder-fired air defense systems. These specific weapons were reportedly supplied by Tehran and are of Chinese origin, though the exact model remains unidentified.

The strikes occurred last week, shortly after the shipments arrived at their destinations. One source noted that the armed group had selected the storage spots specifically because they were difficult to detect or reach. The report acknowledged that some details remain unconfirmed and that no definitive evidence has been made public. Despite this, a security official stated that Iraqi authorities have seen enough indicators to believe Israel was responsible for the blasts.

The latest incidents follow an explosion on October 17 at a Popular Mobilization Forces base in Baghdad’s East Canal area. The PMF, a paramilitary umbrella group, described the event as an accident involving a stockpile of obsolete ammunition. Five people were injured in the blast. While the Iraqi government promised an investigation, an anonymous official said the inquiry is still ongoing, with no updates provided more than a week later.

These events are part of a broader pattern of incidents in mid-October. On October 1, warehouses linked to Iran-backed groups in and around Baghdad were reportedly affected. These sites held drones intended for suicide attacks and reconnaissance missions. This sequence of events adds to a history of tensions, including militia claims that Israel was behind strikes in 2019 and a recent attack in Albukamal, Syria.

The conflict has been escalating since the United States 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. Allied militias have mounted 600 attacks across Iraq, some targeting US diplomatic sites. Following the US withdrawal of forces on September 30, the department has advised Americans to avoid traveling to Baghdad.

Shi'ite Coordination Framework sources indicated that ruling party leaders have long predicted a renewed war between Washington and Tehran would begin with the destruction of Iraqi faction capabilities. Most major PMF groups, excluding the Badr Organization, are sanctioned by the US as terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed that Iraqi airspace is being violated, further heightening the sense of a new round of conflict.