US troops shoot down armed drone near US embassy in Iraq – VIDEO

Defence Redefined

Published on 06/07/2021 at 08:29

An armed drone near the US embassy in Baghdad was intercepted and shot down, according to AFP and Reuters, which cite sources close to the Iraqi security services. The drone was shot down a few hours after a new rocket attack on a base where US forces are stationed in western Iraq.

The small quadruped drone could not reach the embassy building, while its downing did not cause any injuries on the ground, according to the sources of the two news agencies.

Late on Monday night, the C-RAM air defence systems were activated and opened fire, the journalists of the French Agency found out.

Iraqi security officials have said they opened fire to intercept a drone, the new weapon of choice for pro-Iranian organizations in the Middle East.

Since the beginning of 2021, there have been 47 attacks against US interests in Iraq, where 2,500 US troops remain deployed, as part of the international coalition formed against the jihadist organization Islamic State (IS).

Six of them involved these kinds of drones, a tactic that was initially followed in mid-April and poses a headache for the coalition as the aircraft can evade the C-RAM systems installed by the US military to protect its personnel.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the pro-Iran movement, which, in Yemen for example, is using drones against Saudi targets, has been blamed.

Hasd al-Saabi (“People’s Mobilization Units”), an alliance of pro-Iranian paramilitary groups which has typically joined the tactical army and constitutes a force that cannot be bypassed by anyone in Iraq, often praises the attacks against US facilities in Iraq, yet without taking responsibility for them.

Yesterday, three rockets were fired at an Iraqi air base in the western desert where US troops are stationed, the International Anti-Jihadist Coalition said.

The attack on Ain al-Assad base did not cause any casualties.

The two new attacks came about a week after US strikes on Hashd facilities in Syria and Iraq killed at least ten militants.

An indication of US concern about drone strikes: a reward of up to $ 3 million has been offered for information leading to an investigation into attacks against their interests in Iraq.

Also read: Iraq | Rockets against air base housing F-16s

Source: ANA MPA