Earlier, after the publication of “WSJ” about a secret Israeli military base in the country, the Iraqi government adopted a policy of not commenting on the newspaper's reports, reports the Al-Arabi Al-Jadid website.
In turn, the spokesman for the commander of the Iraqi armed forces, Sabah al-Numan, said in an interview with Kurdistan24 that the government has not published any official findings confirming the media reports.
Israel's secret base. It was supposed to support attacks on Iran
“WSJ” wrote on Saturday that Israel established a secret base in Iraq that supported operations against Iran. According to the American daily, the base was built with the knowledge of the US just before the start of the war with Iran on February 28.
Citing American officials and other sources, “WSJ” reported that Israeli special forces and search and rescue teams were stationed at the base, prepared to evacuate pilots if they were shot down during operations over Iran.
Israel had a secret military base in Iraq. He attacked Iraqi soldiers from it
In early March, Iraqi state media reported that a local shepherd noticed unusual military activity in the area, including helicopter flights. So Iraqi soldiers were sent there. Israel responded with air strikes to force the troops to retreat, resulting in one Iraqi soldier being killed and two wounded, a source familiar with the matter told WSJ.
The Iraqi government condemned the attack, and the Israeli army declined to comment. After the attack, Iraq filed a complaint with the United Nations, attributing the strikes to the United States.
Residents stayed away from the military base
Iraq's western desert is vast and sparsely populated. During the First Gulf War in 1991 and the Second Gulf War in 2003, American special forces used this area of operations against Saddam Hussein.
Michael Knights, head of research at the consulting company Horizon Engage, noted in an interview with “WSJ” that the inhabitants of the Iraqi desert have observed various military activities for years – from the activities of the Islamic State to the operations of special forces – and have learned to stay away from them.
