US-led coalition: Attack with 2 armed drones foiled in Iraq

BAGHDAD — Two explosives-laden drones targeting an Iraqi subject basal lodging U.S. troops successful occidental Anbar state were destroyed connected Tuesday, a conjugation authoritative said.

It was the 2nd specified attempted onslaught coinciding with the day of the 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed a apical Iranian wide adjacent the Baghdad airport. On Monday, 2 equipped drones were changeable down arsenic they headed toward a installation lodging U.S. advisors astatine Baghdad airport.

According to the official, the fixed-wing drones rigged with explosives were engaged and destroyed by antiaircraft capabilities astatine the Ain al-Asad airbase. An Iraqi subject connection confirmed the attempted attack, saying the drones were changeable down extracurricular the parameters of the aerial base. The basal houses troops with the U.S.-led planetary conjugation warring the Islamic State radical successful Iraq.

In Monday’s attack, the drones were changeable down by the C-RAM defence strategy that protects American installations successful Iraq, and determination were nary reports of harm oregon injuries from the incident. No radical claimed work for the attack, though 1 of the wings of the drones had the words “Soleimani’s revenge” painted connected it, according to the conjugation and Iraqi officials.

“These are attacks against Iraqi installations and an onslaught against the Iraqi radical and the subject that protects them,” the conjugation authoritative said. “We support a minimal footprint connected Iraqi bases.”

“The conjugation nary longer has its ain bases successful Iraq,” the authoritative added, speaking connected information of anonymity successful enactment with regulations.

The 2020 U.S. drone onslaught astatine Baghdad’s airdrome killed Gen. Qassim Soleimani, who was the caput of Iran’s elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, lawman commandant of Iran-backed militias successful Iraq known arsenic the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Pro-Iran Shiite factions successful Iraq person vowed revenge for the sidesplitting and person conditioned the extremity of attacks against the U.S. beingness successful Iraq connected the afloat exit of American troops from the country.

The U.S.-led conjugation formally ended its combat ngo supporting Iraqi forces successful the ongoing combat against the Islamic State radical past month. Some 2,500 troops volition stay arsenic the conjugation shifts to an advisory ngo to proceed supporting Iraqi forces.

“While we person ended our combat mission, we support the inherent close of aforesaid defense,” the conjugation authoritative said Tuesday.

Associated Press writer Zeina Karam successful Beirut contributed reporting.