Two drone attacks target US forces in northern Iraq
The Al-Harir Air Base in Erbil, Iraq. Photo Rudaw News/screen grab
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Two drone attacks targeted US and coalition forces on Wednesday at Al-Harir Air Base in Erbil governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The first attack took place at 23:00 local time on Wednesday, followed by the second attack at 00:40 on Thursday, according to Iraqi Kurdistan’s counter-terrorism service.
The counter-terrorism service in the Kurdistan region of Iraq said in a statement that the attacks did not cause any casualties or damages at the base, which houses US soldiers.
Attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria have increased since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
Iraqi armed groups threatened to target US interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel.
The Pentagon press secretary, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, said this week that Iranian-backed militias have targeted American soldiers in Iraq and Syria with drones or rockets at least 38 times in less than a month, with six of the incidents occurring in two days.
After US forces struck a weapons warehouse and an ammunition warehouse in eastern Syria last Friday, which the Pentagon said were used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups, at least 16 unsuccessful attacks against American personnel were carried out.
With regional tension over the Israel-Hamas conflict increasing dramatically, Washington is on high alert for activities by groups backed by Iran.
The United States has about 900 soldiers in Syria and 2,500 soldiers in Iraq.