Kataeb Hizbullah commander in Iraq killed in US-Israel strike

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — A senior commander of the Iran-backed militia group Kataeb Hizbullah in Iraq has been reported killed in an attack that struck a vehicle near the group’s main base in southern Iraq, adding to the casualties as the widening regional conflict spreads to multiple fronts in the Middle East.

Kataeb Hizbullah Secretary-General Ahmad al-Hamidawi expressed condolences on the death of their commander, Ali Hussein al-Freiji, in an official statement. He described al-Freiji as ‘a senior commander’ who had joined the group more than two decades ago.

According to two faction sources quoted by AFP on Thursday (5 March 2026), the strike hit a vehicle near the group’s main base in southern Iraq. The attack was initially reported to have killed two people. However, the toll later rose to three after it was confirmed that commander Ali Hussein al-Freiji was among the dead.

One source from the group described the attack as a ‘Zionist-US’ strike.

The Jurf al-Nasr base, which serves as the group’s headquarters, had previously been named as the initial target in Iraq in a series of attacks attributed to Israel and the United States, before expanding to other areas.

Since the outbreak of hostilities in the region, such attacks have killed at least 15 fighters, most of them from Kataeb Hizbullah.

Iraq itself has in recent years enjoyed relatively more stable security. However, the country has long been a theatre of influence rivalry between the US and Iran, often making it a proxy conflict.

The Iraqi government previously stated that it did not wish to be dragged into a regional war that is widening. Nonetheless, latest developments show the country remains affected by the escalation of the conflict.

Additionally, several Iran-backed armed groups, collectively known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, are reported to continue launching drone strikes almost daily against US military bases in the country. Kataeb Hizbullah is one of the groups within that network.

On Thursday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq also issued a warning to European countries not to become involved in the war. They warned that if European nations join the conflict, their troops and bases in Iraq and the region will become targets.

Amid the rising tensions, Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported that Iraqi security forces seized two rockets and a rocket launcher in Basra province in the south of the country. The rockets were reported to have been mounted and ready for use to target a neighbouring country.