Resistance Leadership Targeted As French Soldier Killed And Italian Forces Withdraw From Iraq

US Embassy in Baghdad being hit

  

From March 13-14 Iran targeted members of the anti-Islamic State Coalition in Irbil while the U.S. and Israel went after more leaders of the pro-Iran Resistance.

 

On March 13 a French soldier was killed by a drone and six others were wounded in Irbil. Italy was struck a few days before and announced that it would withdraw from the country while the Iran War continued. Both were members of the anti-Islamic State Coalition forces that work with Baghdad.

 

That same day the U.S. or Israel went after leadership of the pro-Iran Resistance. Missiles hit a building in the Arasat neighborhood of central Baghdad killing four and injuring eight. One of the dead was reportedly a leader in Kataib Hezbollah and might have even been the organization’s secretary general. In another strike the commander of Badr’s missile department Rafi Ali Qasim was killed. This is not the first time that commanders have been hit in the war but if Kataib Hezbollah’s leader was one of the dead it would be a major escalation. So far, attacks upon the Resistance have been very small with few casualties. Taking out their leaders would have an impact upon Iraqi politics as well as the Resistance controls several political parties that have members in parliament and are involved in talks to name a new prime minister.

 

Other Resistance targets were hit on March 13 as well. A cultural center that housed a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader run by Sayid al-Shuhada was destroyed in Bartella in east Ninewa by an airstrike. The Khorasani Brigade’s 18^th Hashd Brigade was struck by airplanes along the Syrian border.

 

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed it fired missiles and drones at a U.S. military base in Irbil. The K1 military base in Kirkuk was struck by mortars. Two sets of drones were downed targeting a support center at Baghdad Airport with the second striking the building.

 

March 14 the U.S. embassy in Baghdad was hit by a rocket. A helicopter landing pad was hit and the air defense system was damaged. This was the second time the embassy was targeted. The United Arab Emirates’ consulate in Irbil was hit for the second time leading to two security guards being injured.

 

The Lanaz oil refinery in Irbil city stopped work after a drone set off a fire at the facility. Three drones were downed over the support center again at Baghdad airport.

 

On the other side the Turkmen 52^nd Hashd Brigade in Tuz Kharmato and Amerli in eastern Salahaddin faced five sets of drones that wounded 4. The Imam Ali’s 40^th Hashd Brigade was hit in the Karrada district of Baghdad, explosions were heard in the Rusafa and Nahrawan neighborhoods in the capital, Sayid al-Shuhada’s 30^th Hashd Brigade in Mosul faced two missiles, and warplanes hit Ansar Allah’s 19^th Hashd Brigade’s camp in Akashat, Anbar.

 

In the first two weeks of the Iran War these are the Resistance and affiliated groups that have been targeted by the U.S. and Israel in Iraq.

 

33^rd Hashd Brigade in Ninewa

 

59^th Tribal Hashd Brigade in north Ninewa

 

Ansar Allah’s 19^th Hashd Brigade in Akashat, Anbar

 

Asaib Ahl Al-Haq in Diyala, in Mosul, in Salahaddin, in Suwaira, Wasit

 

Babylon Brigades in Tal Keif, Ninewa

 

Hashd Special Forces unknown location

 

Imam Ali in Baghdad, in Dibis, Kirkuk, in Qayara, Ninewa

 

Kataib Hezbollah in Akashat, Fallujah and Qaim, Anbar, in Iskandiriya and Jurf al-Sakr, Babil, in Baghdad, in Samawa, Muthanna

 

Saraya al-Khorasani in Akashat and Qaim, Anbar

 

Sayid al-Shuhada in Bartella, Mosul, Qubba and Rashidiya, Ninewa

 

Shabak 30^th Hashd Brigade in Bartella and Bashiqa, Ninewa

 

Turkmen 16^th and 52^nd Hashd Brigades in Amerli and Tuz Kharmato, Salahaddin

 

Unknown unit in Musayib, Babil

 

Unknown unit in Camp Saqr, Baghdad

 

Unknown unit in Diyala

 

Unknown unit north of Mosul, Ninewa

 

SOURCES

 

Al Alam, “Rocket Targets Popular Mobilization Forces Headquarters in Central Baghdad: Fate of “Al-Hamidawi” Remains Unknown,” 3/14/26

 

Aldroubi, Mina Rose, Sunniva, “French soldier killed in Iraq as Iranian-backed group warns of more attacks,” The National, 3/13/26

 

Asharq Al-Awsat, “French Soldier Killed in Drone Attack in Iraq," 3/13/26

 

Bas News, “Drone Attack Targets US Embassy in Baghdad After Strikes Kill Kataib Hezbollah Members,” 3/14/26

- “Italy to Temporarily Withdraw Troops from Erbil Amid Missile Strike,” 3/13/26

 

Iraqi News, “Tehran’s IRGC says it targeted US base in Iraq,” 3/13/26

 

Kurdistan 24, “AFP: Drone Strike on Peshmerga Base in Erbil Province Wounds Six French Soldiers,” 3/13/26

- “Drone Strikes Target Multiple PMF Bases in Khormato District, Casualties reported,” 3/14/26

- “Explosions Reported at PMF Sites in Baghdad and Western Iraq as Authorities Condemn Attacks,” 3/14/26

 

Reuters, “Drone strike halts operations at refinery in Iraq’s Irbil officials say,” 3/14/26

 

Shafaa News, “An airstrike targeted a Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in western Iraq,” 3/13/26

- “Bombing targets a compound belonging to the representative of the Iranian Supreme Leader in the Nineveh Plain (Update),” 3/13/26

- “Damage inside the US embassy in Baghdad following a rocket attack,” 3/13/26

- “French forces included in the attack targeted a military base in Kirkuk (Update),” 3/13/26

- “Iraqi factions announce carrying out 27 operations against “enemy bases” within 24 hours,” 3/14/26

- “New bombing targets Popular Mobilization Forces in Anbar,” 3/14/26

- “Operation in Arafat, Baghdad: 12 killed and wounded, including prominent leaders of Iraqi factions,” 3/13/26

- “A second drone that attempted to target the “Support Center” at Baghdad International Airport was shot down,” 3/13/26

 

Al Sumaria, “Baghdad” Three marches intercepted near “Victory” base,” 3/14/26