Kathmandu. At least ten members of Iraq’s former paramilitary coalition have been killed in a joint strike by the US and Saudi Arabia in Iraq.

The United States and Saudi Arabia said the strikes were aimed at Iran-backed militants in Iraq in retaliation for attacks on US troops and Saudi oil facilities.

Ten staff members were confirmed dead and several others were injured as a result of the attacks. The Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), known in Saudi Arabia as Hashd al-Shaabi, said in a statement that the attack caused “extensive damage”.

A PMF official told AFP that the attack took place in several provinces belonging to the coalition, and in the deadliest attack in Nineveh province, at least 10 members were killed, some in critical condition, and the death toll could rise.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said injuries were also reported in other provinces.

The PMF is a coalition of paramilitary and factions created in 2014 to fight jihadists and has now been integrated into the Iraqi armed forces.

Iranian-backed groups have a number of groups working within the coalition, and many of these groups have their own ways of working.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PMF described the joint US-Saudi offensive as a “dangerous escalation” and an attack on Iraq’s official security institutions.

The joint strike by the United States and Saudi Arabia came after Riyadh blamed Iran-backed groups in Iraq and said its forces had intercepted drones targeting oil facilities in the east.

But these groups have called Saudi Arabia’s accusations “fabricated” and warned against attacking Iraq.

The most active pro-Iran armed groups are said to be united in Iraq under a coalition known as the Islamic Resistance. It has intervened in support of Tehran during the Middle East war and has claimed hundreds of attacks against US bases in Iraq.

However, the United States and Iran have not claimed any attacks since hostilities resumed earlier this month.

Washington and Tehran have long been Iraq’s main allies, but their regional rivalries have long turned Iraq into a battleground and successive governments have struggled to maintain a delicate balance between their enemies.

Iraq’s new prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi, who came to power this year with the backing of Washington, has also stepped up pressure from powerful factions while vowing to ensure pro-Iran armed groups hand over their weapons.