File image.
On April 9, a fire broke out at an ammunition depot of the al-Abbas Combat Division (ACD) in the area of Razzaza, near the holy Shiite city of Karbala.
The fire lasted for around an hour before it was put down. While the fire didn’t result in any casualties, a video and several photos released by the ACD show some serious damage at the ammunition depot.
The ACD is a key faction of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). The division is responsible for the protection of Karbala city.
فيديو: إخماد حريق المستودع الذي يبعد عن مدينة كربلاء المقدسة بنحو ٢٥ كيلو متراً من قبل أبطال الدفاع المدني وكوادر فرقتنا
لم نسجل أي أضرار بشرية
المستودع تتوفر فيه كل إجراءات الأمان والسلامة pic.twitter.com/y9UTuaHG9X— فرقة العباس القتالية (@AL_Abbas_combat) April 9, 2022
تحديث: إخماد حريق المستودع ولا توجد أضرار بشرية
تعلن فرقة العباس القتالية (حشد العتبات المقدسة) السيطرة على حريق أحد مستودعاتها الذي يبعد عن كربلاء المقدسة بنحو 25 كيلو متراً.
وذلك بتضافر جهود أبطال الدفاع المدني وكوادر فرقتنا. pic.twitter.com/osXLZBKn5k— فرقة العباس القتالية (@AL_Abbas_combat) April 9, 2022
In a statement, the ACD said that it is currently investigation the fire. The division noted that the ammunition depot was well-secured.
“The warehouse has all safety and security measures, and there is no electrical source close to it,” the statement reads.
The suspicious fire came following two attacks on US forces in Syria and Iraq. On April 7, an indirect fire attack on a US based in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor wounded four American service members. On April 8, a drone attack targeted Ayn al-Assad Air Base in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar, where US troops are present. Iranian-backed forces were allegedly behind both attacks.
In the last few years, similar fires were reported at ammunition depots of Iranian-backed forces in Iraq after attacks on US forces. In some cases, the PMU said US drones were responsible.
The fire at the ACD ammunition depot near Karbala may have been an indirect response by the US to the recent attacks on its troops in Syria and Iraq.