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Israel built secret base in Iraqi desert to carry out airstrikes on Iran: Report

Israel built secret base in Iraqi desert to carry out airstrikes on Iran: Report

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The base also housed special forces troops and search-and-rescue teams ready to act if any Israeli pilots were downed, said the report further.

On February 28 Israel along with its ally United States launched airstrikes on Iran saying it was aimed at stopping Tehran from enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. In the strike, Iran's supreme leader Ayahtollah Ali Khamenei was killed along with many of its top officials. Several months after this attack it has come to the fore that Israel reportedly set up a secret military base in the Iraqi desert before the attack to support its aerial campaign.

According a report by Wall Street Journal that cites US official sources, Israel built the base shortly before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, to serve as a hub for logistics to support the Israeli Air Force.

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The base housed special forces troops and search-and-rescue teams ready to act if any Israeli pilots were downed, said the report further.

Iraqi forces nearly discovered the outpost in early March - after a local shepherd witnessed “unusual military activity,” including helicopters and gunfire in a remote area - and they had to launch airstrikes against Iraqi forces. One Iraqi soldier was killed in the attack as confirmed by Baghdad.

Was US also Involved?

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The Israeli strikes deterred Iraqi forces from carrying out further investigations.

Iraq had initially blamed the March attack on the US and said “This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval.”

The US was not involved in the operation, reported the media 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 IDF has yet to make any comments on the report.

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Aditya Shukla

Aditya Shukla has a vast experience of over 20 years in the field of journalism. During the years, he has worked in TV and digital, covering Indian politics and world news extensiv...Read More