Under the title "Downing Drones... Unveiling Details of the 'Hot Night' in Iraq," Sky News Arabia reported on a significant development where Iraqi forces successfully downed an explosive drone late Wednesday into Thursday near a security camp in Baghdad. This occurred during a heated week following the introduction of drones into the conflict arena between Iranian-backed militias and U.S. forces. Iraqi forces had not previously encountered a downed explosive drone except in a previous case last year in the heavily fortified Jadriya area, marking a significant shift in the strategy of utilizing such drones.
The Security Media Cell also reported the downing of another drone in Baghdad. The cell stated in a statement that "the Baghdad Operations Command downed a second drone south of the capital shortly after announcing the first downing of a drone loaded with explosives near Camp Rashid."
The downing of these two drones comes after drone attacks on Baghdad Airport, where U.S. forces are stationed, the previous Monday. These attacks did not result in any material or human losses. Base "Victoria," which housing U.S. military personnel at Baghdad Airport, was also targeted by drone attacks last Thursday. Recently, Iranian-backed militias have increasingly used drones against U.S. and Iraqi interests amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
### Al-Khazali's Threat
This notable escalation followed the announcement by Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia and designated as a U.S. terrorist threat, who claimed that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran concerning the factions "will not benefit them," while speaking of an anticipated escalation. He stated, "The insistence on keeping U.S. military forces means that political and peaceful methods for their departure are futile, and the option of resistance is legitimate, being the only means to compel U.S. forces to leave." According to al-Khazali, the factions he refers to as "resistance" "will never cease military options unless U.S. forces actually leave," announcing a decision for escalation "that has already begun to be implemented, and Americans must be assured that readiness to respond is present."
### Concerns Within Iraqi Parliament
Abbas Sarout, a member of the Iraqi parliament's Security Committee, commented that "many entities both outside and inside Iraq possess those drones, including armed factions and ISIS elements, so we must initially identify the party seeking such actions and understand its goals before taking a decisive stand." Sarout added that "Iraq has become a battleground for regional conflict and internal competition," noting that "the Security and Defense Committee will convene to discuss the implications of this matter and its impact on the overall situation in the country." He pointed out that "there are parties seeking to harm Iraq, both regional and internal."
### Ominous Tactics
Iraqi observers suggest that this method of attack represents a new tactic employed by Iranian-backed armed factions in Iraq to compel Americans to withdraw from the country. A source in the Joint Operations Command stated that "the drone that was downed late Wednesday into Thursday was coming from eastern Baghdad, heading towards the center of the capital, where it was detected at Camp Rashid by the assigned unit. Communication was established with various security leaders and military units regarding the drone's origin, but all assorted security forces confirmed they had not deployed any drone or engaged in such an activity."
The source explained to Sky News Arabia: "A rapid decision was made to down it, by firing from a single unit." The preliminary investigations revealed that the downed drone was of Iranian manufacture, of the Shahed X type, similar in design to those used by the Houthis for their attacks, indicating that "the drone was rigged with bombs prepared to explode upon impact, but security forces managed to detonate it in mid-air."
### A New Challenge
Iraqi forces are now confronted with the challenge posed by drones, which appear new to the country's security landscape, complicating their monitoring and intercepting tasks and requiring additional efforts in light of existing technological and equipment shortages faced by the military institution. Compounding the challenge for Iraqi forces in the face of the Iranian drone warfare is the ongoing targeting of diplomatic missions, Western entities, and vital facilities in the country, like airports and sensitive military bases, such as Balad Air Base. This situation could lead to a "catastrophe" if any of those drones hit their intended targets, such as the U.S. or British embassies or fall onto the international airport.
Recently, American warnings regarding this type of weapon have intensified as it has newly entered the Iraqi arena, with military leadership in the Pentagon confirming that efforts are ongoing to develop defensive systems to contain the threat posed by drones.
