Baghdad:

An “explosion” hit a military base in central Iraq that hosts troops and pro-Iranian paramilitary forces on Friday night, two security sources said.

The blast hit the Karso base where former pro-Iran paramilitary group Hashed al-Shaabi, now part of the regular army, is stationed, according to interior ministry sources and military officials.

Interior Ministry officials said one person was killed and eight wounded in the attack, while military sources said three Iraqi military personnel were wounded.

Hashid Shaabi confirmed in a statement that the attack caused material damage and casualties, but did not specify the number of injured.

In response to questions from AFP, the source did not say who was responsible for the attack or whether it was a drone strike.

“The explosion hit equipment, weapons and vehicles,” a ministry source said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

“There was an explosion in a warehouse where equipment is stored,” the military official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic. “The fire is still raging and the search for the injured continues.”

Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of mainly Shiite armed groups fighting the Islamic State group, is now part of Iraq’s security forces.

The attack on pro-Iranian paramilitary forces comes amid rising regional tensions over the war between Israel and the Tehran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas.

On Friday, Israel launched an attack on an Iranian military base near Isfahan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)