Ammunition blast at Popular Mobilization Forces base in Baghdad; casualty reports differ
A stockpile of obsolete ammunition exploded at a Popular Mobilization Forces facility in Baghdad on Saturday, causing a fire. Reuters sources report one death; the group's statement, as relayed by Anadolu, mentions five minor injuries.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2An explosion at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) facility in Baghdad on Saturday 17 October injured five members and caused a fire, which has since been brought under control. Anadolu AgencyN “Five members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces were injured Saturday when a stockpile of damaged ammunition exploded at one of the group's facilities in Baghdad, the group said.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Arab NewsRC “The group said a stockpile of obsolete ammunition had exploded, injuring five people and causing a fire, which has since been brought under control.” Read at Arab News ↗ Right · 1Reuters, carried by Arab News, reported that one PMF member was killed and four others wounded, citing a security source and a medical source. Arab NewsRC “killed one member of the Iraqi paramilitary group and wounded four others, according to a security and a medical source.” Read at Arab News ↗ Centre · 1Anadolu Agency, citing the group's statement, said the five members sustained minor injuries and did not mention a death. Anadolu AgencyN “It said five of its members sustained minor injuries.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Centre · 1The PMF said the facility is east of the Army Canal and that specialised teams had begun investigating the cause, promising to announce findings once the inquiry was complete. Anadolu AgencyN “The group added that specialized teams had begun investigating the cause of the explosion and would announce their findings once the inquiry was complete.”“The explosion sparked a fire at the facility east of the Army Canal” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Mixed · 2Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation, according to an official statement; Anadolu, citing the Security Media Cell, adds that he called for its swift completion and told authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents. Arab NewsRC “Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has ordered an investigation into the blast, an official statement said.” Read at Arab News ↗ Anadolu AgencyN “He also instructed authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Mixed · 2The PMF, known in Arabic as Hashd al-Shaabi, is an umbrella of mostly Shiite paramilitary factions, including several aligned with Iran; it was formed in 2014 to fight ISIS and formally incorporated into Iraq's armed forces in 2016. Arab NewsRC “is an umbrella group of mostly Shiite paramilitary factions that has been formally integrated into Iraq’s state security forces and includes several groups aligned with Iran.” Read at Arab News ↗ Anadolu AgencyN “The Popular Mobilization Forces was formed in 2014 to fight the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group and was formally incorporated into Iraq's armed forces in 2016.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Anadolu leads with the injuries and the official response, relying on the PMF's statement and the Security Media Cell.
- Emphasis
- Minor injuries, the fire under control, the PM's order for a swift inquiry and stronger safety measures.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the death reported by Reuters' sources.
- For example
-
“It said five of its members sustained minor injuries.” — Anadolu Agency
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Arab News runs Reuters copy led by the death, based on anonymous security and medical sources, with the PMF's explanation after.
- Emphasis
- The fatality and the PMF's links to Iran-aligned groups.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the PMF's description of the injuries as minor, the facility's location or the safety-measures order.
- For example
-
“killed one member of the Iraqi paramilitary group and wounded four others, according to a security and a medical source.” — Arab News
What every side reports
- Obsolete or damaged ammunition exploded at a PMF facility in Baghdad on Saturday.
- The blast caused a fire that was brought under control.
- Five people were hurt in the blast, by the group's account.
- Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered an investigation.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether anyone was killed
- Centre
- Anadolu, citing the PMF statement, reports five members with minor injuries and no deaths.
- Right
- Arab News, carrying Reuters, reports one member killed and four wounded, per a security and a medical source.
Popular Mobilisation Forces organisation
The PMF attributes the blast to a stockpile of obsolete ammunition, says the fire is out and that its teams are investigating; per Anadolu it reported five minor injuries.
“The group added that specialized teams had begun investigating the cause of the explosion” — Anadolu Agency
“The group said a stockpile of obsolete ammunition had exploded” — Arab News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
-
5 injured in ammunition blast at Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces base
Neutral Anadolu's own report centred on the PMF statement of five minor injuries and the prime minister's investigation order.
Right1 article
-
Arab NewsRC · · via Reuters
Explosion at Iraqi paramilitary alliance base kills one member, sources say
Neutral Reuters wire copy leading with one death, sourced to anonymous officials, with background on the PMF's Iran-aligned groups.
- 17 Oct 17:47 First Arab NewsRC Explosion at Iraqi paramilitary alliance base kills one member, sources say via Reuters
- 17 Oct 23:48 +6h 1m Anadolu AgencyN 5 injured in ammunition blast at Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces base
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…