US speeds up defense system deployment in 7 countries including Iraq
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – About a dozen air defense and missile defense systems will be deployed in Iraq, Syria and the Arabian Gulf this week amid an increase in attacks on US forces ahead of Israel’s ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
US officials said that the Pentagon sent the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Saudi Arabia and Patriot air defense missile system battalions to Kuwait, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The sources explained that these systems will be deployed later this week.
“The deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and the additional Patriot battalions that we announced this weekend is under way,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
The US Department of Defense revealed on Tuesday that US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria were targeted at least 13 times last week.
The US Central Command mentioned that 24 US soldiers were injured last week in drone and rocket attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria, indicating that all injuries were minor, NBC News reported.
The attacks are the first of their 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.
Ryder also mentioned that US and coalition forces have been attacked at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria between October 17 and October 24, via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets.
The United States has about 900 soldiers in Syria and 2,500 soldiers in Iraq.