An investigation committee in Iraq has ruled out the possibility of a missile strike being the cause of Saturday’s explosion at the Kalsu military base in Babil province.
According to a statement from the Security Media Cell, which is associated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, the explosion originated from an ammunition and missile depot.
The committee stated, “The scale of the explosion and the spread of materials from various projectiles, missiles, and explosives indicate that missiles were not the cause.”
It was also noted that “the size of the crater resulting from the explosion confirms that a large amount of weaponry and highly volatile materials were involved in the incident.”
Additionally, the Iraqi Air Defense Command verified that there were no drones or military aircraft present in the province’s airspace prior to or during the blast.
Reports indicate that the explosion occurred late at night, followed by a fire at Camp Kalsu on Saturday. The camp accommodates facilities for the Iraqi army, federal police, and Hashd Shaabi forces. One member of the Hashd Shaabi forces was killed, and eight others, including a soldier, were injured.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Central Command clarified in a social media post on Saturday that “the United States had not carried out any airstrikes in Iraq on that day.”