Israeli forces established a temporary base using an old airstrip in the Iraqi desert during the war against Iran, two security officials told AFP on Sunday, confirming a Wall Street Journal report.Early in the war, sparked by joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, forces were discovered in the Najaf desert in the southwest of the country and clashed with Iraqi forces, killing one soldier and wounding two others. The security official said, “Israeli forces established a base at an abandoned airstrip built by Saddam Hussein in the Najaf desert.”He added, “There are no longer forces there, but they may have left equipment,” adding that the Israeli operation “was coordinated with the United States.”
It was not clear how long the forces were there or what their mission was.Iraq was drawn into the Middle East war from the beginning, with the United States and Israel blamed for attacks targeting Iranian-backed militant groups, which in turn launched hundreds of attacks on American interests in Iraq and across the Gulf region. Reports of the presence of foreign forces in the desert emerged early in the war after a shepherd reported military activity. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that “Israel has established a secret military site in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran,” citing people familiar with the matter, including American officials.
The report said, “Israel built the facility, which included special forces and served as a logistics center, with the knowledge of the United States.” The Israeli army has not yet commented.After the Wall Street Journal report, an Iraqi spokesman referred to a statement issued on March 5. At the time, Qais al-Muhammadawi, Iraq’s deputy commander of joint operations, told state media that Iraq had protested to the US-led anti-jihadist coalition based in the country over an airstrike in Najaf.
He said that after receiving reports of “individuals or movements in the Najaf desert,” the Iraqi army sent a force to investigate.
The forces were subjected to intense aerial bombardment, which led to the death of one soldier and the injury of two others. Al-Mohammadawi added that reinforcements later searched the area but “did not find anything.” No foreign forces were allowed to be present at this site.” Another security official said that there were “indications that an Israeli technical team participated in the operation.” Agencies
