Warning to America. Iran's supporters attacked US troops
Iranian-backed militias attacked two American bases in Iraq. US forces intercepted suicide drones before they could reach their targets. The attack may be a response to Washington's support of Israel in the war with Hamas.
2:55 PM EDT, October 19, 2023
As reported by Reuters, the first attack took place on October 18. Drones attacked the al-Adad base. One of them was intercepted, but despite this, it exploded, causing minor injuries and damaging part of the equipment. Reuters reports that as a result of the incident, some US soldiers were tested for possible brain injuries. The second target was the al-Harir air base located in the city of Irbil in the northern part of Iraq. Reuters, citing Kurdistan Against Terrorism, reports that the drone used for the second attack fell in the desert near the village of Batas in the Harir district.
The Islamic Resistance Movement in Iraq (a group affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) claimed responsibility for the attack on the al-Adad base. Meanwhile, a little-known Shiite militia is supposed to have thwarted the attack on al-Harir. The attacks took place less than a day after the explosion in a hospital in Gaza, which - as Palestinians claim - killed hundreds of people. On Wednesday, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, arrived in Israel to assure Jerusalem of his support in the war with Hamas.
"The success of Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups in the attack on Israel on October 7th has emboldened Iran and its supporting militias in Iraq. By targeting American troops, Tehran wants to signal to the United States not to get involved in the conflict in Gaza. Otherwise, there may be threats of more attacks organized by Iranian militias in the region" - believes Joe Truzman, a research analyst at the Long War Journal FDD.
The tension related to the war in Gaza in Iraq continues to rise. The highest Shiite cleric in the region, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned Israel and called on the world to oppose the "terrible brutality" in besieged Gaza.
There are 2,500 American soldiers stationed in Iraq. Meanwhile, in neighboring Syria - 900. The US mission in these regions involves advising and supporting local forces in combating the Islamic State.
