An explosion rocked a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) "logistics support" warehouse south of Baghdad on Thursday, according to officials.

The PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, released a statement providing details of the incident: "At 19:00 on 7/18/2024, an explosion occurred in the logistical support warehouses of the 42nd Brigade, affiliated with the Salah al-Din Operations Command, specifically the rear camp in the Yusufiyah area, south of Baghdad." Efforts are currently underway to extinguish the resulting fire, and a specialized technical committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the explosion.

A security source confirmed the explosion but stated that the reasons behind it remain unknown. A PMF official did not dismiss the possibility of an "air strike," noting that the warehouse was "technically secured in a way that does not accept any accidental incident."

This incident follows an explosion and fire in April at the Kalsu base in Babil province, which houses the army, police, and PMF forces. That incident resulted in one fatality and eight injuries. An Iraqi technical committee investigating the Kalsu explosion ruled out an external attack, suggesting that it was likely caused by "highly explosive materials" stored at the site.

The PMF, part of the Iraqi security forces under the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister, faces another challenge with this latest explosion. This event comes shortly after an attack on the Ain al-Assad military base, home to the US-led international coalition forces in western Iraq, where two drones struck on Tuesday night without causing damage or casualties.