An Iraqi official says an airstrike has hit two cars carrying Iran-backed militia north of Baghdad, one day after a U.S. attack on top Iranian general Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
The official said five members of the militia were killed.
The official said the identity of those killed was not immediately known. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.
The Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces confirmed the strike, saying one of its medical convoys had been targeted near the stadium in Taji, north of Baghdad. The group denied any of its top leaders were killed.
A U.S. official said the reported attack near Taji was not an American military attack. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
President Trump on Friday said he ordered the killing of Soleimani because he was planning 'imminent and sinister attacks.'
Trump, speaking from Mar-a-Lago in Florida, added that the U.S. is "ready and prepared" for any response. He said that Gen. Qassem Soleimani "made the death of innocent people his sick passion,” and should have been hunted down years ago.
