Iraq military denies airstrike took place north of Baghdad

A US military spokesperson wrote on Twitter denying the strikes, following reports that the US killed six people, including a senior Iraqi militia leader.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
Smoke rises after an U.S. airstrike, while the Iraqi army pushes into Topzawa village during the operation against Islamic State militants near Bashiqa, near Mosul, Iraq October 24, 2016. (photo credit: AHMED JADALLAH / REUTERS)
Smoke rises after an U.S. airstrike, while the Iraqi army pushes into Topzawa village during the operation against Islamic State militants near Bashiqa, near Mosul, Iraq October 24, 2016.
(photo credit: AHMED JADALLAH / REUTERS)
Iraq's military denied that an airstrike had taken place on a medical convoy in Taji, north of Baghdad, on Saturday.
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces umbrella grouping of paramilitary groups had said earlier on Saturday said that an airstrike targeting its fighters hit a convoy of medics.
However, the PMF later issued another statement saying that no medical convoys were targeted in Taji.
Following reports that the US carried out the airstrike, the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State said on Saturday it did not conduct any air strikes near Camp Taji north of Baghdad.
"FACT: The Coalition @CJTFOIR did NOT conduct airstrikes near Camp Taji (north of Baghdad) in recent days," Spokesperson for the Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) Colonel Myles B. Caggins III tweeted on Saturday.

On Friday night reported that Pentagon officials said that the US carried out a strike that meant to target the Imam Ali Brigades.
They further claimed it is likely that the leader of the group, Shubul al-Zaidi, was killed, Newsweek reported on Saturday. However, the PMF initially said that a medics were killed, but no senior officials.
The reports of the airstrike came after the recent US assassination of IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

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Iran warned the UN it reserves the right to defend itself following what it called the "cowardly US bombing."  
"This is war," pro-Hezbollah Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar said on Friday following Soleimani's assassination.