Two U.S. defense officials have confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. intercepted two one-way attack drones targeting Iraq’s al-Asad air base where American troops are located.
The incident happened early Wednesday morning local time. No injuries have been reported.
Defense officials tell Fox News the U.S. currently has about 2,500 troops in Iraq.
Reuters first reported the thwarted attack, citing two U.S. officials who said the two drones were intercepted before they could strike.
The officials who spoke on condition on anonymity declined to say who was believed to have been responsible for sending the one-way drones toward the base hosting American troops.
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Two Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles, the Shahed-136, are displayed at the Azadi (Freedom) Square during a rally to mark the 44th anniversary of the Victory of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, in Tehran on Feb. 11, 2023. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The foiled attack in Iraq came hours after a blast at a Gaza hospital that Hamas claims killed hundreds of Palestinians.
Israel said the explosion at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital was the result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian terrorists, while Palestinian authorities claimed it was an Israeli strike.
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Palestinians evacuate wounded in the Israeli bombardment of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali)
President Biden touched down in Israel Wednesday to pledge support for the Jewish state.
Last week, Iraq’s top Shi’ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, criticized Israel and urged the world to stand up to the “terrible brutality” unfolding in Gaza.
Iranian officials have warned Israel of a second front opening, as the Tehran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization has been skirmishing with Israeli forces along the northern border with Lebanon.
In January 2020, Iran launched a wave of missiles at Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and a base in Arbil, capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region, in retaliation for the U.S.killing Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike. (Ayman Henna/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. officials said it has become clear that already limited Arab tolerance of Israel’s military operations would evaporate entirely if conditions in Gaza worsened, according to The Associated Press. Their analysis projected that outright condemnation of Israel by Arab leaders would not only be a boon to Hamas, but would likely encourage Iran to step up its anti-Israel activity, adding to fears that a regional conflagration might erupt, according to four officials who spoke anonymously to the AP to discuss internal administration thinking.
Al-Asad came under rocket attack in 2021. And although the Pentagon had taken caution in jumping to place blame, analysts have pointed to Iraqi militia groups aligned with Iran.
The sprawling air base also suffered damage by a barrage of missiles fired in January 2020 as retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that took out top Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. President Donald Trump said at the time that Americans had been prepared for the assault and no U.S. casualties were reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.