Iraqi authorities are probing an explosion that rocked a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an alliance of Iran-aligned militias, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.

Initially thought to be an airstrike by militia officials, the incident occurred at the Kalsu military base north of Babylon, formerly a U.S. base transferred to Iraqi control in 2011. Despite militia attributions to U.S. forces, the U.S. Central Command refuted any involvement in airstrikes in Iraq.

The PMF labeled the blast as an "attack" in a subsequent statement but refrained from assigning blame.

Iraq's Security Media Cell reported no drones or fighter planes detected in Babylon's airspace before or during the explosion. One PMF member died, and eight others, including an Iraqi army soldier, sustained injuries.

The PMF, primarily composed of Shiite, Iran-supported factions, operates as an "independent military formation" within Iraq's armed forces.

Recent months witnessed PMF factions targeting U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, citing U.S. backing of Israel during the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Attacks paused following the deaths of three U.S. soldiers in a Jordanian base strike near the Syrian border, prompting U.S. retaliatory actions in Iraq.

The base explosion occurred amidst tensions, following a suspected Israeli strike in Iran. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, claimed responsibility for launching a drone attack on Israel's Eilat, citing alleged Israeli violations of Iraqi sovereignty.

No Israeli reports of an Eilat attack have surfaced, and the Israeli military has yet to comment on the matter.