ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi military bases were targeted by suicide drones early Tuesday, damaging radar systems at two installations but causing no casualties, according to a government spokesperson.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered the formation of a “high-level technical and intelligence committee” to investigate and identify the perpetrators behind the drone attacks, said Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the Iraqi premier.
The attacks targeted Taji Military Base, located north of Baghdad, and Imam Ali Air Base in the southern province of Dhi Qar, al-Numan added.
Numan elaborated that a “treacherous and cowardly attack” was carried out using multiple drones that struck both bases. He emphasized that “all of the targeted locations are exclusively military facilities under the control of the Iraqi security forces, managed and operated by personnel from our heroic security formations.”
Of note, the US-led Coalition to Defeat Islamic State (ISIS) deployed its forces from the Taji Military Base in 2020, formally handing it over to Iraqi security forces. Before the withdrawal, the base had been repeatedly targeted by Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups.
Meanwhile, the Imam Ali Air Base in Dhi Qar is considered a key Iraqi military installation, especially important for regional air traffic control due to its radar systems. Although the base hosted US forces until 2017, it is now operated solely by Iraqi military personnel.
As of the time of writing, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
However, according to the Iraqi prime minister’s spokesperson, the strikes caused “significant” damage to radar systems at both installations. Numan also revealed that Iraqi forces intercepted additional drones at four other, undisclosed locations.
Importantly, the drone attacks on Taji and Imam Ali bases came just hours after Iran launched a missile barrage targeting the al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, where the US Central Command (CENTCOM) is based.
During the Iranian strike on al-Udeid, reports also emerged claiming that Iran had also targeted Ain al-Assad Air Base in Iraq’s western Anbar province, where US forces are believed to be stationed. However, the Anbar province police chief denied to Rudaw that any attack on the base had occurred.
Tehran stated that its ballistic missile strike on al-Udeid was in direct response to the US airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear sites - Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz - carried out on Sunday.
The US strikes came amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, which escalated on June 13 when Israeli airstrikes inside Iran killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran launched waves of missiles and drones toward Israeli territory.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire.
