The U.S. military successfully thwarted three drone attacks near U.S. and Coalition forces in Iraq within the last 24 hours.
These incidents mark the first such attempts on U.S. troops in Iraq in over a year and have raised concerns due to the heightened state of alert amid the ongoing conflict in the region.
U.S. Central Command (Centcom), which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said two drones approached forces stationed in western Iraq. U.S. military personnel promptly engaged these unmanned aerial vehicles, managing to destroy one drone while damaging the second. Unfortunately, the engagement resulted in minor injuries to a small number of troops.
In a separate incident located in northern Iraq, another hostile drone was detected and intercepted by U.S. forces. In this case, the engagement led to the successful destruction of the drone without causing any injuries or damage to personnel or equipment.
U.S. Forces Defend Against Drones in Iraq https://t.co/URHNRuPdvn pic.twitter.com/C1tcdBTuyo
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 18, 2023
The U.S. military has remained on high alert in the region and has been actively monitoring the situation in Iraq. A primary objective is to ensure the safety and security of U.S. and Coalition forces operating in the area.
“In this moment of heightened alert, we are vigilantly monitoring the situation in Iraq and the region. We want to emphasize U.S. forces will defend U.S. and Coalition forces against any threat,” the Centcom said in a release on Wednesday.
The recent drone attacks underline the dynamic and complex security landscape faced by U.S. troops and Coalition forces in Iraq as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.
