US Forces defend against drones in Iraq
Military vehicles of US soldiers at the Al-Asad air base in Anbar governorate, Iraq. Photo: Reuters
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The US Central Command said on Wednesday that the US military defended against three drones near US and Coalition Forces in Iraq.
A statement released by the US Central Command mentioned that US Forces, in the last 24 hours, engaged two drones, destroying one and damaging the second, resulting in minor injuries to Coalition Forces.
The statement clarified that US Forces engaged and destroyed a drone separately in northern Iraq, resulting in no injuries or damage.
The US Central Command said that US Forces are continuing to assess the impacts on operations.
The statement added that in this moment of heightened alert, the US Forces are vigilantly monitoring the situation in Iraq and the region.
The US Central Command emphasized that US Forces will defend US and Coalition Forces against any threat.
The attack is the first of its kind in more than a year. With regional tension over the Israel-Hamas conflict increasing dramatically, Washington is on high alert for activities by groups backed by Iran.
US officials told Reuters that the drones were trying to target Al-Asad Airbase, which houses US Forces in the western Iraqi governorate of Anbar.
Iranian-backed groups in Iraq threatened to target US interests in the region if Washington interfered in the conflict between Hamas and the Israeli occupying forces.
The incident occurred only hours after Israeli forces bombarded a hospital in Gaza, where at least 500 people were killed.
Israeli sources claimed that the hospital was bombarded after a missile was misfired by Hamas, which denied any involvement.