US Bases in Iraq and Syria Targeted by Drone Attacks

The Counter-Terrorism Force of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq announced on Friday evening that the "Harir" airbase in Erbil was targeted by a drone attack. According to the statement, this drone attack at 4:29 PM local time caused an explosion. As of the time of this report, there is no information regarding casualties or potential financial damages. The mentioned agency stated that the Harir airbase was previously a base for international coalition forces in the fight against ISIS. Reports from Soran Khatri, a reporter for Voice of America in Erbil, indicate that images have circulated on social media showing that one of the hangars at the airbase caught fire as a result of this attack. Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq have claimed responsibility for this attack. Meanwhile, reports have also emerged of a drone attack on Friday afternoon, January 5, targeting US forces in Al-Shaddadi in the Hasakah province of northeastern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a non-profit organization documenting human rights violations in the Syrian civil war, stated that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a drone in Al-Shaddadi. No reports of casualties or damages from this attack have been released at this time. Previously, Iran-backed groups in Iraq, operating under the title of "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," claimed responsibility for two other drone attacks against US bases in northeastern Syria on Thursday evening. Concurrently with these developments, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported the discovery of a ground-to-ground cruise missile made in Iran in Iraq. On Thursday, January 5, CENTCOM announced via a message on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that Iraqi police discovered this Iranian-designed missile on Wednesday, January 4, in Babil, Iraq. According to CENTCOM, terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria are endangering coalition forces and local residents by using Iranian-made weapons. CENTCOM's message also praised the efforts of legitimate security forces in Iraq in preventing future attacks. On Tuesday, January 3, CENTCOM stated that US forces attacked positions of the "terrorist" group Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq, which is supported by the Islamic Republic. US President Joe Biden stated that the purpose of this attack was to deter the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces. Previously, a drone suicide attack on the location of coalition forces led by the US in Erbil, Iraq, had resulted in injuries to several coalition personnel. Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza from mid-October of this year, Iran-backed militia groups in the region have increased their attacks against Israeli and US interests in various parts of the Middle East. During Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 1,200 people, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed, and about 240 were taken hostage, with more than a hundred still held by this Palestinian militia group. The US, Canada, the UK, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Prime Minister of Iraq stated that he is ready to end the mission of the US-led coalition. A leader of a militia group in Iraq was killed in a "US attack." In response to the killing of Saleh al-Arouri, the IRGC emphasized "strategic patience." Concurrently with Israeli attacks on border areas of Syria and Lebanon, an armed drone was shot down over Erbil airport in Iraq. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq reported the downing of an armed drone near a US base. Six Iran-backed militants were killed in airstrikes along the Syria-Iraq border. At least five were killed in an airstrike on positions of Iran-backed militants along the Iraq-Syria border. Saudi media reported that 11 commanders and members of the IRGC were killed in an Israeli attack in Syria.