The American military in Iraq on Monday shot down two drone bombs launched against a base at Baghdad airport where troops of the international anti-jihadist coalition led by the United States are stationed, a coalition official told AFP.
The attack, which was not immediately claimed, comes on the same day as the second anniversary of the deaths of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant, killed in a US drone attack on the road. from Baghdad International Airport.
Avenge the death of Qassem Soleimani?
“Two armed drones targeted Baghdad airport this morning at around 4:30 am” (01:30 GMT) where an American “Diplomatic Support Center, BDSC” houses “a very small number of coalition troops, who have not a combat role ”, specified the person in charge on condition of anonymity.
“The C-RAM defense batteries (…) intercepted them and they were shot down without problem,” he added.
The BDSC, attached to the American Embassy, houses coalition troops “in charge of logistics” but also “service providers and civilian personnel,” said the official.
Photos obtained by AFP from the same source show what remains of one of the projectiles. “Commanders’ revenge operations” can be read on a piece of black metal.
“The Iraqis have opened an investigation,” said the official. “There is no damage, but it is a civilian airport, it is very dangerous to launch this type of attack. “
On January 3, 2020, on the orders of then-US President Donald Trump, an armed drone shot sprayed the vehicle in which Qassem Soleimani, architect of Iranian strategy in the Middle East, was located. With him, there was Abu Mehdi al-Mouhandis, number 2 of Hachd al-Chaabi, a coalition of pro-Iranian armed factions now integrated into the Iraqi regular forces.
Attacks on the decline in recent weeks
Dozens of rocket attacks or trapped drone attacks have targeted American troops and interests in Iraq in recent months. Never claimed, these attacks are systematically blamed by the United States on Iraqi pro-Iran factions. However, in recent weeks these attacks had declined sharply.
Pro-Iran factions have repeatedly called for the total withdrawal of US troops stationed in Iraq as part of an international anti-jihadist coalition.
This call was reiterated once again on Saturday by the leaders of Hachd al-Chaabi, in front of the thousands of demonstrators gathered in the heart of Baghdad to mark the second anniversary of the assassination of Qassem Soleimani.
On December 9, Iraq announced the “end of the combat mission” of the coalition, which to this day retains its troops on Iraqi soil to continue a training and advisory role.
2,500 American soldiers in Iraq
In fact, some 2,500 American soldiers and 1,000 soldiers from coalition member countries are now stationed on three bases held by Iraqi forces.
These foreign troops had already served as advisers and trainers for over a year, after helping Iraqi forces defeat the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group.