BAGHDAD, March 4 (Xinhua) -- One Iraqi soldier was killed and two others wounded Wednesday in an unidentified air and ground attack during a security operation in central Iraq's desert region, officials reported.

Members of an Iraqi Shiite militant group attend a funeral of a fighter of the Kataib Hezbollah, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike, in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Photo: AP)

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command's Security Media Cell (SMC) said in a statement that the dawn attack targeted a unit from the Karbala Operations Command conducting a search operation between Karbala and Najaf provinces.

The SMC did not identify the source of the strike, noting that a high-level committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

"The repetition of such incidents against our security forces within our territories and while performing their duties is a violation and an unjustified act," the statement said.

The attack follows the joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran starting Saturday morning, to which Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. assets across the Middle East.

During the past days, several members of the Iraqi paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces were killed in attacks, which the group attributed to U.S.-Israeli bombs.