Drone attacks against US forces in Iraq ‘foiled’, US says
Drone attacks against US forces and the international coalition in Iraq have been “foiled” Wednesday and the machines “dejected”causing minor injuries, announced American military authorities. “Over the past twenty-four hours, the US military has defended itself against three drones that were in close proximity to US and coalition forces in Iraq”specified the American military command for the Middle East (Centcom) in a press release.
“In western Iraq, US forces opened fire on two drones, destroying one and damaging the other, leading to minor injuries to coalition forces. In northern Iraq, American forces destroyed a drone, without causing any injuries »continued Centcom, without identifying the people or groups who operated these drones.
In recent days, Iraqi armed factions close to Iran have threatened to attack American interests in Iraq because of Washington’s support for Israel in the conflict with Hamas. Through social networks, these factions claimed responsibility for two separate drone attacks during the day against two Iraqi bases housing American soldiers and soldiers of the international coalition.
The first attack would have targeted, according to these groups, the Aïn Al-Assad base, in western Iraq. The second would have aimed at that of Al-Harir, in Iraqi Kurdistan (north). Regarding this latest attempt, the counterterrorism services of Iraqi Kurdistan indicated that a drone “armed” had fallen on Wednesday in a “desert area”without causing any injuries.
These incidents involving drones come the day after a strike against a Gaza hospital which left hundreds dead, according to the Palestinian territory’s health ministry. Israel denies being behind the bombing, which it blames on a failed Islamic Jihad rocket attack. A version to which the United States subscribes.
As of Tuesday evening, pro-Iranian Iraqi factions accused Israel and the United States of having committed “massacre” in Gaza. One of them, the Hezbollah Brigades, demanded that the Americans “leave” Iraq, “otherwise they will taste the fires of hell”. “During this period of heightened alert, we are vigilantly monitoring the situation in Iraq and the region”added Centcom on Wednesday, saying it was ready to ” defend “ American soldiers and those of the international coalition “against all threats”.
Until last year, bases housing international coalition troops were the target of frequent rocket fire and armed drones. Since the summer of 2022, however, these attacks have ceased as Iraq returned to a certain stability. These attacks were generally not claimed, with the United States attributing them to pro-Iranian factions.
Some 2,500 American soldiers and a thousand soldiers from other member countries of the coalition are today stationed on three bases held by Iraqi forces.