Two Years After Assassination Of Iranian General, US Coalition Forces Thwart 2 Armed Drone Attack In Baghdad

Illustration of the United States military base in Iraq. (Wikimedia Commons/CPT Chris Heathscott/39th Brigade PAO)

JAKARTA - Two armed drones were shot down at Iraq's Baghdad Airport on Monday, a US-led coalition official said, an attack that coincided with the anniversary of the US assassination of a top Iranian general in 2020.

There were no reports of damage or injuries from the incident, which was also confirmed by an Iraqi security official.

Officials from the US-led international coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq told The Associated Press (AP), the C-RAM defense system at Baghdad's Center for Diplomatic Support uses two fixed-wing "suicide drones". The C-RAM system protects American installations in Iraq.

"This is a dangerous attack on a civilian airport," coalition officials told The Associated Press as quoted January 3.

The Iraqi security official who confirmed the incident said the drone was headed for a US base at Baghdad airport which houses Uncle Sam's advisers.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The two officials spoke on the condition of anonymity according to regulations.

To note, the 2020 US drone strike at Baghdad Airport killed Major General Qassem Soleimani, who was the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq known as the Popular Mobilization Forces.