Blast at Iraq's PMF base caused by explosion in ammunition storage: media

A huge blast at Iraq's Kalso military base used by the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Saturday was the result of an explosion in ammunition and rocket storage, state media reported citing the investigators' report.

No warplanes or drones were spotted in the sky above Iraq's Babil province at the time of the explosion, according to the final report of the Iraqi military technical committee which investigated the explosion.

The blast killed a member of the PMF security force that includes Iran-backed groups.

Highly explosive material used in manufacturing ammunition was identified and the remnants of rockets were found 150 meters away from the explosion site, Tuesday's report said.

State media did not say explicitly whether the explosion was believed to be an accident.

The blast occurred nearly a week after Iran fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel in response to a presumed Israeli airstrike that destroyed part of Iran's embassy in Damascus on April 1, killing seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers.

The PMF includes Iran-backed groups which, operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, have attacked US troops in the region and targeted Israel since the eruption of the Gaza war, declaring support for the Palestinians.