A secret Israeli base in Iraq? What we know

Israel built a secretly operated military outpost deep inside the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign in the run-up to the start of the US-Israel war on Iran, reports in US media have claimed. On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel built the installation, which housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for its air force, with the ⁠knowledge of the United States just before the start of the war on Iran. The military post also included capacity for search-and-rescue teams to assist downed Israeli pilots. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list The report added that Israeli troops launched air attacks from this base against Iraqi forces who nearly discovered it in early March. What is known so far about this base, and how significant is it? Here’s what we know: How was the Israeli base in Iraq discovered? Open-source analysts identified the suspected location close to Iraq’s border with Saudi Arabia, from satellite images, the WSJ reported. On Thursday, Lieutenant-General Qais al-Muhammadawi, Iraq’s deputy commander of joint operations, announced that Baghdad had received reports of “individuals or movement” in the Najaf desert, near Karbala, a city about 100km (62 miles) southwest of the capital, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) said. “A force of three regiments from the Karbala Operations Command was deployed to investigate. …