Long before Iraqi troops stumbled upon unusual helicopter movements in the desert, Israel had already turned a remote stretch of western Iraq into a secret frontline in its war against Iran. Hidden far from public view, the covert outpost became a launchpad for rescue teams, special forces and logistical operations supporting Israel’s sweeping air campaign deep inside Iranian territory.
But the operation nearly collapsed within days. According to a report by The Wall Street JournalIraqi soldiers moved toward the hidden base in early March after a shepherd reported suspicious military activity in the area. Israeli forces responded with airstrikes to stop Iraqi troops from reaching the site.
The report, citing people familiar with the operation including US officials, said the secret base housed Israeli special forces and rescue teams on standby in case pilots were shot down over Iran. Israeli officials reportedly worried that carrying out strikes nearly 1,000 miles from home could leave air crews stranded deep inside hostile territory.
Those fears became real earlier in the conflict when a US F-15 went down near Isfahan. According to one source quoted by the Journal, Israel offered to assist in rescuing the two American airmen, though US forces eventually handled the operation themselves. Israel did, however, launch airstrikes to help secure the rescue effort.
The hidden outpost nearly came undone after a local shepherd reported unusual military activity in the Iraqi desert. Iraqi state media said helicopters had been flying unusually low and repeatedly over the remote area, prompting Iraqi forces to move in and investigate. According to Iraqi officials cited in local media, soldiers travelling in Humvees toward the site at dawn suddenly came under heavy fire. One Iraqi soldier was killed and two others were injured.
“This reckless operation was carried out without coordination or approval,” Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi told Iraqi state media after the clash.
IRAQ ACCUSED US, BUT ISRAEL ACTED ALONE
The incident quickly sparked outrage in Baghdad. Iraq later filed a complaint with the United Nations blaming “foreign forces” and initially pointing the finger at the US. But US forces had no role in the strike against Iraqi troops; Israel did.
Israeli officials have only hinted publicly at the covert missions carried out during the conflict. In early March, outgoing Israeli Air Force chief Tomer Bar praised unnamed special units involved in secret operations.
“These days, fighters from special units of the air force are conducting special missions which could ignite the imagination,” Bar wrote in a message to personnel before leaving office in May.
The clash quickly set off speculation across Iraqi and Arab media, with questions mounting over who was secretly operating in the remote desert region. Iraqi authorities later deployed additional Counter Terrorism Service units to search the area for answers. Investigators reportedly found signs which indicated that highly trained military forces had recently operated there.
“It appears there was a certain force on the ground before the strike, supported from the air, operating beyond the capabilities of our units,” Muhammadawi said as quoted by The Journal.
The western Iraqi desert has long been used as a staging ground because of its vast, empty terrain. US Special Forces operated in the same region during campaigns against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and again in 2003.
– Ends
Source link
[ad_3]
