Baghdad: Israel reportedly built a secret military base in the Iraqi desert to help in its operations against Iran. The US was aware of this development but the Iraqis were not.
When Iraqi soldiers went to inspect the site, they allegedy came under fire from the Israelis, as reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
Israel built the outpost housing special forces and serving as a logistics hub for the Israeli air force, the report says.
Citing people familiar with the matter, WSJ reported that the Iraqi troops almost discovered the outpost in the early days of the Iran war, prompting an Israeli airstrike to keep them away. The building was reportedly erected with the US’s knowledge.
Hindustan Times has referred to a part of the report that states how Israel offered help with finding the downed airmen of the US F-15 jet that Iran shot down near Isfahan. Tel Aviv planned to use the search and rescue teams already deployed at its said Iraqi base.
These teams were deployed there in case any Israeli plane was shot down during the operation against Iran.
While the US is said to have rescued the two downed airmen themselves, the WSJ report added that Israel helped by carrying out airstrikes to help protect the operation.
It has also been reported that the Israeli base was almost discovered in early March when the strikes against Iran were in early stages, but at full swing. A local shepherd reported unusual military activity in the area, including helicopter flights, and the Iraqi military sent troops to investigate, Iraqi state media reported.
Israel kept the Iraqi troops at bay with airstrikes, the WSJ reported, citing one of the people familiar with the matter.
While Israel issued no statement regarding such airstrikes, the Iraqi government condemned the attack, which left a soldier dead.
“This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval,” Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi, deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command, a central security body, told Iraqi state media in comments about the attack in early March.
Iraq, in a complaint lodged later in March with the United Nations, said the attack involved foreign forces and airstrikes, attributing it to the US. The WSJ, however, reported that the US wasn’t involved in the attack, though Washington has carried out multiple strikes in Iraq to protect its own bases and other assets.
The strike against Iraqi troops was widely reported in Iraqi and Arab media and generated speculation about the identity of the combatants.
According to the report, the base in Iraq allowed Israel to get closer to the battlefield in Iran. Israel deployed search-and-rescue teams there to respond more quickly if needed for emergency rescue missions. Israeli air force special forces, trained to carry out commando operations in enemy territory, were also present on the base, it added.
Security experts say that US forces often set up temporary operational sites in the lead-up to military operations. A makeshift forward-operating base was set up inside Iran and used in the mission to rescue the US airmen whose plane went down in early April.
“It’s normal that before operations you reconnoitre and set up these kinds of locations,” Michael Knights, head of research for a strategic advisory firm, told WSJ.
He said that the western desert region of Iraq is vast and sparsely populated, making it an ideal location for temporary outposts. US Special Forces made use of this area in Iraq as part of operations against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and 2003.
