Baghdad ammunition depot explodes at Hashed base

An ammunition depot exploded at a Hashed al-Shaabi base in Baghdad on Saturday, the Iraqi armed alliance said.

The Hashed al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, said a stockpile of damaged munitions exploded inside one of its bases east of the Canal in Baghdad. It said no human casualties had been recorded so far.

Residents told AFP they heard a loud blast and saw smoke rising.

Fires and explosions at bases and weapons depots in Iraq have become common, with the causes often not announced. During the first weeks of the Middle East war, Hashed al-Shaabi bases were hit by multiple deadly strikes attributed to the United States.

The Hashed al-Shaabi was formed in 2014 as an alliance of Iraqi armed groups to fight the Islamic State group and later became part of Iraq's military establishment. It also includes brigades belonging to factions allied with Iran that operate independently and have claimed attacks on American interests in Iraq and the wider region.