Two drones intercepted targeting base with US presence in Iraq
Baghdad, Oct 26 (EFE).- United States forces deployed in northern Iraq, as part of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, shot down two drones launched by Iraqi militias against a base with US troop presence in northern Iraq on Thursday.
According to a Kurdish official, two drones targeted the Harir base, located near the airport of Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan.
The source added that the attack did not cause any material or human losses and that it was intercepted by a “missile” from US forces, without giving further details.
The new action was claimed by the so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of pro-Iranian militias that has claimed responsibility for more than a dozen attacks on bases housing US personnel in Iraq and Syria in recent weeks.
The US Department of Defense confirmed Wednesday that at least 21 of its soldiers have suffered minor injuries “as a result of drone strikes against the Ain al Asad bases in Iraq and the Al Tanf garrison in Syria,” and noted that “all members have returned to work.”
The most recent attack, claimed by this group of Iranian-backed militias on Wednesday, was against a US base in Al Hasakah province in northeastern Syria.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has already threatened to attack bases hosting US troops in the Middle East if Washington increases its military presence in the region to support Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Faced with the increase in the number of attacks against it, the Pentagon announced the deployment of anti-missile batteries in various areas of the region to “increase the protection force for US troops,” while maintaining contacts with the Iraqi authorities to intensify their efforts to prevent these actions. EFE
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