Iraq: Drone attack targets Taji military base

BAGHDAD(Iraq): A drone attack targeted Iraq’s Taji military base, north of Baghdad, Anadolu Agency reported, citing authorities.

Speaking to Iraq’s official news agency INA, Lieutenant General Walid al-Tamimi said that an unidentified drone hit a location in the base. He confirmed that there were no casualties in the attack and stated that further details would be announced later, as Anadolu Agency reported.

Some local media reports claimed the drone targeted a French-made radar system stationed at the base. The base, previously used by the US-led international coalition forces, was handed over to the Iraqi army in 2020, Anadolu Agency reported.

The drone attack at a military base in Iraq comes after Iran launched multiple missiles targeting US military installations in Qatar and Iraq, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar–the largest US military installation in the region, according to a CNN report.

The development follows US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in the early hours of Sunday. Two officials familiar with the situation confirmed to CNN that the US is tracking multiple missiles launched from Iran. A White House official said that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine are in the Situation Room, closely monitoring the unfolding events.

Earlier, Iran’s state TV reported that Iran had begun an operation against a US base in Qatar. This operation against US bases in the region is called ‘Operation Basharat al-Fath’, Samaa TV reported, citing Iranian state TV.

According to CNN, US personnel at the embassies in Qatar and Bahrain are in “duck and cover” as Iran launches retaliatory missiles toward Qatar and Iraq. The Qatari foreign ministry wrote on X that its government had temporarily shut down its airspace amid the heightened tensions. The move follows Iran’s announcement of retaliation against the United States, which has heightened security concerns across the Gulf region. (ANI)