US thwarts drone attack targeting its forces in Iraq
A drone shot down and damaged. Photo: Iraqi Security Media Cell
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Two US officials told Reuters that the US military thwarted a drone attack targeting its forces in Iraq early on Wednesday.
The US military intercepted two drones before they reached their target, the two officials said, refusing to reveal the party involved in carrying out the attack.
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.
The US officials explained 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.
Last Monday, the White House mentioned that the US President, Joe Biden, and the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, discussed efforts to contain the conflict in Gaza.
The two leaders also discussed the importance of addressing the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.