Israel set up a secret military base in the Iraqi desert to support its aerial campaign against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials and other sources.
According to the sources, Israel built the base shortly before the war began in late February to serve as a hub for logistics to support the Israeli Air Force.
It also housed special forces troops and search-and-rescue teams, the report says.
To protect the outpost, Israeli troops even launched airstrikes against Iraqi forces who nearly discovered it in early March, the report adds.
The strikes killed one Iraqi soldier, Baghdad said at the time, after Iraqi media reported that a local shepherd witnessed “unusual military activity,” including helicopters and gunfire in a remote area. According to the Journal, the Israeli strikes succeeded in deterring Iraqi forces from further investigation.
Iraq, which initially blamed the attack on the Americans, said: “This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval.”
The US was not involved in the operation, sources tell the American outlet.
“It appears there was a certain force on the ground before the strike,
supported from the air, operating beyond the capabilities of our units,” a top Iraqi military official said at the time.
The report points to statements made by Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar in March, when he said that special forces had been conducting “extraordinary” operations during the conflict with Iran.
“The troops of the air force’s special units are currently carrying out extraordinary missions that can spark one’s imagination,” Bar said, without elaborating further.
According to an expert speaking to the Journal, the western desert of Iraq, where the reported base was located, is a perfect spot for a clandestine military outpost, given its sparse population and vast size.
“It’s normal that before operations you reconnoiter and set up these kinds of locations,” says Michael Knights, the head of the Horizon Engage intelligence firm.
The IDF declines to comment on the report.
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