Two suicide UAVs approached the US base in Iraq but were shot down by air defense forces before they could crash into the target.
Two unnamed US officials said the attack occurred early this morning at al-Asad military airport in central Iraq, where many US soldiers are stationed. Two suicide drones (UAVs) were both shot down by air defense forces near the base.
Officials declined to comment on the origin of the UAVs and the force that deployed them. The incident occurred in the context of the US’s increasing vigilance against pro-Iranian militia groups in the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The US Department of Defense has not commented on the information.
Al-Asad is one of the key bases of the US-led coalition against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), and is also one of two targets that Iran attacked with ballistic missiles in 2020.
The US sent troops into Iraq in 2003 to overthrow President Saddam Hussein, then completely withdrew its forces from Iraq in December 2011 at the behest of President Barack Obama, but returned in 2014 to fight at the request of President Barack Obama. Baghdad.
Location of Al-Asad base in Iraq. Graphics: BBC
Although IS has been defeated, the US still maintains thousands of soldiers stationed in Iraq to train and support the country’s army to prevent rebels from rising.
US facilities and forces in Iraq have been repeatedly attacked by rockets in recent years. The US accused pro-Iranian militias of being behind these attacks and repeatedly launched air strikes in response.
