A commander of Iraq’s former paramilitary coalition Hashd al-Shaabi and several fighters were killed in an airstrike in western Iraq’s Anbar province, the group said on Tuesday. The strike hit a base during a commanders’ meeting, and a group source blamed the United States for the attack. According to the source, seven members were killed and 13 others injured. The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), as the group is also known, confirmed the death of Anbar province commander and operations chief Saad Dawai al-Bayji and condemned the attack.

The PMF is part of Iraq’s regular armed forces but includes several Iran-backed brigades. Iraqi authorities have repeatedly condemned attacks on the group since the start of the ongoing conflict that began after Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran-aligned militias in Iraq and the region have claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. interests, prompting retaliatory strikes.

Last week, the Pentagon acknowledged for the first time that U.S. helicopters had been used in operations against Iran-backed groups in Iraq during the current conflict.