Israel built a hidden military base in Iraq’s western desert to support operations against Iran. The Wall Street Journal reports this citing sources, including U.S. officials.
According to the newspaper, the site was used by special operations units and search-and-rescue teams, and served as a logistics hub for Israeli Air Force operations. The sources said the base was built shortly before the start of the war with U.S. awareness.
The WSJ writes that in March the site was nearly exposed after a local shepherd reported suspicious activity and helicopter flights in the area around the base. Iraqi military units were then sent to inspect the area.
According to the newspaper’s sources, Israel carried out airstrikes against Iraqi forces to prevent them from approaching the site. As a result, one Iraqi serviceman was reportedly killed and two others were wounded.
Iraqi authorities said at the time that the operation had been carried out without Baghdad’s approval. The country later filed a complaint with the United Nations, suggesting the involvement of foreign forces.
As The Wall Street Journal notes, the base was located in a sparsely populated part of western Iraq. According to the sources, the site housed teams for evacuating pilots, as well as Israeli Air Force units trained to operate inside enemy territory.