Iraq: new "drone bomb" attack against American soldiers
American soldiers in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, March 29, 2020 (illustrative image).
AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
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2 min
In Iraq, a "trapped drone" crashed into an Iraqi military base housing American soldiers.
Foreign troops are regularly targeted by rocket fire, which the United States attributes to pro-Iran militias, but this modus operandi is much rarer.
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With our correspondent in Baghdad,
Lucile Wassermann
The attack took place in the middle of the night, at 2.20 am local time, on the Ain al-Asad air base, west of Baghdad.
No injuries, but a damaged hangar, said the spokesperson for the international coalition, whose forces are hosted there.
This type of attack is worrying, because if rocket fire is frequent in Iraq, this new mode of operation by drone is less so.
It has only been observed once in the past, in mid-April.
A drone loaded with explosives then targeted Erbil International Airport, where US forces are also based.
Washington accuses pro-Iran militias of being behind these unclaimed attacks.
This week in Iraq, three rocket attacks targeted American interests, including this military base targeted this Saturday.
These operations had calmed down for a while, but have gradually resumed since Joe Biden arrived at the White House.
Armed groups close to Tehran are demanding the departure of 2,500
American
soldiers
based in Iraq
, in particular since the assassination of Iranian General
Qassem Soleimani.
► To read also: Iran in ambush for Joe Biden's policy in the Middle East
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Iraq
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