BAGHDAD: A drone strike early on Saturday targeted a military base in Iraq that hosts US troops, causing only minor damage and no casualties, Iraq’s military and the US-led coalition said.
The pore-dawn attack damaged a hangar, tweeted coalition spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto. He said the attack was under investigation. An Iraqi military statement also said no losses were reported.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The US has blamed Iran-backed militia groups for previous attacks, most of them rocket attacks that have targeted the American presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq.
Drone strikes are less common. In mid-April, an explosive-laden drone targeted the military section of the international airport in Irbil, in Iraq’s northern Kurdish-run region, causing no casualties or damages. The base also hosts US troops.
The attacks have been frequent since a US-directed drone strike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad airport last year. Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis was also killed in the attack. The strike drew the ire of mostly Shiite Iraqi lawmakers and prompted parliament to pass a non-binding resolution to pressure the Iraqi government to oust foreign troops from the country.
The Biden administration has resumed strategic talks with Baghdad, initiated under President Donald Trump, in which the future of US troop presence in Iraq is a central point of discussion.
Drone attack on Iraqi base hosting US troops
https://arab.news/4hvza
Drone attack on Iraqi base hosting US troops
- The US accuses Iran-backed militia groups of launching regular rocket attacks against its troops in Iraq
Syrian army chief, SDF delegation discuss integration measures
- Iraqi and Syrian security officials told The Associated Press that the US military had begun moving its forces and equipment from the Qasrak base in Syria to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region
DAMASCUS: Syrian Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Naasan on Sunday met a delegation from the Syrian Democratic Forces to discuss steps for integrating SDF units into several brigades of the Syrian Arab Army.
The Defense Ministry said that the meeting also addressed military deployment and administrative arrangements.
Syria announced on Jan. 29 a comprehensive agreement with the SDF that includes a ceasefire, a phased integration of forces, and the return of state institutions and border crossings to government control.
BACKGROUND
Syria announced on Jan. 29 a comprehensive agreement with the SDF that includes a ceasefire and a phased integration of forces.
The media directorate of the presidency earlier announced that Brig. Gen. Ziad Al-Ayesh has been appointed as a presidential envoy to implement the Jan. 29 agreement.
The directorate said in a statement to SANA that the agreement enhances the state’s presence, removes obstacles and activates government services for citizens.
The deal includes a phased integration of military and administrative bodies, the deployment of security forces into Hasaka and Qamishli, and the state’s administration of civil institutions and border crossings.
The UN Security Council has welcomed the agreement. The council also praised the start of implementation and reaffirmed its commitment to Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a recent press statement, council members said the agreement must be upheld to ensure civilian protection, unhindered humanitarian access and Syria’s continued recovery.
Meanwhile, US forces were withdrawing from Qasrak base in northeastern Syria, in what appears to be part of a larger drawdown of US forces in the country.
Iraqi and Syrian security officials told The Associated Press that the US military had begun moving its forces and equipment from the Qasrak base in Syria to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
AP journalists in the city of Qamishli in northeast Syria saw a convoy of dozens of trucks carrying military vehicles and equipment on Monday, with military helicopters circling overhead, moving toward the Iraqi border.
A senior Iraqi security official said evacuation of the base had begun Sunday and that on Monday, US forces and military equipment coming from the base crossed into Iraq’s semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.
A Syrian security official said about 200 soldiers remained at the base on Monday and that work was underway to dismantle military jamming and air defense systems, and the engineering section at the base.
Earlier this month, CENTCOM and Syria’s Defense Ministry announced that US troops had left another base, Al-Tanf, located in eastern Syria near the border with Jordan.
Meanwhile, Syrian authorities are repairing key infrastructure at Deir Ezzor Civil Airport ahead of flights being resumed.
Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced on Monday that technical and engineering teams were repairing the runway, essential facilities, and rebuilding the airport’s perimeter fence to meet international safety and security standards.
