The Iraqi army said on Sunday two drones were destroyed above a basehousing US troops, one month after the same base was targeted by an armeddrone.
The US military’s C-RAM defence system was activated to shoot down thedrones above the Ain al-Assad base, located in Iraq’s western desert, theIraqi military said.
Several hours earlier a rocket was shot down above Baghdad airport,“without causing casualties or damage”, said Colonel Wayne Marotto,spokesman for the US-led military coalition in Iraq.
The coalition was sent to Iraq to help the country’s military fight themilitant Islamic State (IS) group — a campaign that Baghdad declared wonlink in late 2017.
There are currently 2,500 US troops in Iraq, feeding into total coalitiontroop strength of 3,500.
The US consistently blames Iran-linked Iraqi factions for rocket and otherattacks against Iraqi installations housing its personnel.
Since the start of this year, there have been 39 attacks against USinterests in Iraq.
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The vast majority have been bombs against logistics convoys, while 14were rocketattacks link, some of them claimed bypro-Iran factions, who aim to pressure Washington into withdrawing alltheir troops.
For Western diplomats and high-ranking military officials in Iraq, theattacks are not only a danger to US personnel, but they also compromise thefight against IS, which retains sleeper cells in mountainous and desertareas.
“Those attacks are a distraction,” said one such source. “The only peoplethey are helping are militants because every time they attack a base wherethe coalition has advisers, those advisers have to stop what they are doingto concentrate on force protection.”
The use of drones against American interests by Iran-linked factions is arelatively new tactic.
The US military has previously accused pro-Iran Iraqi groups of helpingYemen’s Houthi rebels carry out attacks using such devices against Saudiinterests. -APP/AFP
