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Iraq
An aerial view of Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar, Iraq on December 29, 2019. File photo: Nasser Nasser/AP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province was attacked by an explosive-laden drone early Saturday morning. There were no injuries, said the spokesperson for the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
The airbase houses personnel from the US-led coalition and the Iraqi army.
“This morning at 0220 Ain Al-Asad Air Base (AAAB) was attacked by an unmanned aerial surveillance system,” tweeted Colonel Wayne Marotto.
There were no injuries reported but a hangar was damaged.
Iraq’s military issued in a statement said "an explosive drone fell on Ain al-Assad airbase in Anbar, without causing losses," state media reported.
Attacks on Iraqi bases, especially those hosting US troops, have increased since the US assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad in January 2020. Most of the attacks are blamed on Iranian-backed militia groups who have called for the withdrawal of US troops in the country.
In its quarterly report on anti-ISIS operations, the Pentagon said the militia attacks have had “minimal impact” on the mission against ISIS, but that the groups “threaten Iraq’s long-term security.”
The “collection of militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) present a major threat to Iraq that could “erode all the gains that have been made” if not addressed,” reads the report, released on May 4.
Coalition spokesperson Marotto said that each attack against Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the coalition “undermines the authority of Iraqi institutions, the rule of law and Iraqi national sovereignty.”
The airbase houses personnel from the US-led coalition and the Iraqi army.
“This morning at 0220 Ain Al-Asad Air Base (AAAB) was attacked by an unmanned aerial surveillance system,” tweeted Colonel Wayne Marotto.
There were no injuries reported but a hangar was damaged.
Iraq’s military issued in a statement said "an explosive drone fell on Ain al-Assad airbase in Anbar, without causing losses," state media reported.
Attacks on Iraqi bases, especially those hosting US troops, have increased since the US assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad in January 2020. Most of the attacks are blamed on Iranian-backed militia groups who have called for the withdrawal of US troops in the country.
In its quarterly report on anti-ISIS operations, the Pentagon said the militia attacks have had “minimal impact” on the mission against ISIS, but that the groups “threaten Iraq’s long-term security.”
The “collection of militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) present a major threat to Iraq that could “erode all the gains that have been made” if not addressed,” reads the report, released on May 4.
Coalition spokesperson Marotto said that each attack against Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the coalition “undermines the authority of Iraqi institutions, the rule of law and Iraqi national sovereignty.”
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