BAGHDAD: Two drones targeted the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq’s Anbar province on Tuesday evening, where forces of the US-led coalition are stationed, security officials said on Wednesday.
“A drone attack targeted Ain al-Assad base using two drones,” a police official told AFP on condition of anonymity. “One drone was shot down outside the base by defense systems, and the second exploded inside the base without causing any injuries or damage.”
The attack occurs amid escalating regional tensions fueled by the ongoing war in Gaza between Washington’s ally Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. While armed groups in Iraq have largely halted similar attacks on US-backed troops in recent months, they continue to threaten action if conflict breaks out between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel.
A senior security official in Baghdad confirmed the drone strike, suggesting it was intended to “embarrass” the Iraqi government and exert pressure on ongoing talks regarding the future of the international coalition in Iraq. Armed groups have been demanding a withdrawal of these forces. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The US military currently has approximately 2,500 troops deployed in Iraq and 900 in Syria with the international coalition. The coalition was initially deployed to Iraq at the government’s request in 2014 to combat IS, which had seized significant territory in Iraq and neighboring Syria.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has conducted over 175 rocket and drone strikes against US-led troops in Iraq and Syria. These groups claim their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign in Gaza and demand an end to the Israeli offensive.
In April, rocket fire from northern Iraq targeted a base hosting the international coalition in Syria. In late January, a drone strike attributed to Iraqi armed groups killed three US soldiers at a base in Jordan. In response, the US launched retaliatory strikes against armed groups in Iraq and Syria.
Baghdad has been attempting to defuse these tensions, engaging in negotiations with Washington to establish a timeline for the coalition’s withdrawal. An Iraqi delegation is expected to travel to Washington later this week for ongoing talks, according to the senior security official.
