clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Iran drone attack against Iraq following Israel airstrike 

March 17, 2022 at 4:59 pm

A view of damaged K24 TV office after a dozen ballistic missiles hit northern Iraq’s Erbil on March 13, 2022 [Ahsan Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed – Anadolu Agency]

Iran fired hundreds of drones into the city of Erbil in northern Iraq, over the weekend, targeting an Israeli military base, reported The New York Times.

Officials claim the attack was in response to a previous secret Israeli airstrike on an Iranian drone factory last month, which they believe were launched by the Israeli intelligence operatives based in Iraq.

The incident went unreported until this week, and was first revealed by Al-Mayadeen TV channel. Israel has not yet commented or taken responsibility.

A senior intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that six suicide quadcopter drones exploded into the Iranian facility near Kermanshah Province in western Iran on 12 February.

READ: Iran ‘warns’ Gulf not to allow Israel to use them as bases to target it 

The official added that the facility was Iran’s main manufacturing and storage plant for military drones; however, the Israeli attack destroyed dozens of them.

The facility has not been confirmed for its use of drones, referring to it only as a base for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the paramilitary force that carries out much of Iran’s foreign military activities, reported The New York Times.

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out several attacks on facilities linked to its nuclear programme and of killing its nuclear scientists over the past years. Israel has neither denied nor confirmed the allegations.