US troops were the targets of two separate drone attacks in Iraq, US Central Command said on Wednesday.
The first saw US forces defend against two drones, one of which caused “minor injuries to a small number of troops” when it was intercepted. An Iraqi official told the Financial Times the attack targeted al-Asad base in western Iraq.
The second targeted the Harir air base in the northern Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Iraqi official said. US Central Command said there was no damage to the base, nor injuries resulting from the attack. A little known Shia militia group called Tashkeel al-Waritheen, or the Inheritors Formation, took credit in a statement disseminated on Telegram groups linked to Iran-backed militias.
Washington is on high alert for activity by Iran-backed groups in the region, with several threatening to target US installations if the Biden administration intervened to support Israel in its war against Hamas.