The integrated air and missile defense architecture constructed in the Middle East was displayed when a US Navy destroyer shot down multiple missiles off the coast of Yemen.
On Friday morning, rockets were fired at a diplomatic support center for U.S. and coalition forces near Baghdad International Airport. Two missiles were launched, according to initial reports, but fortunately, no one was hurt. Houthi militants in Yemen fired multiple drones and cruise missiles at the USS Carney, successfully shooting down three of them. This could have been the first time the United States military has intervened on Israel’s side of the conflict.
Other drone assaults in the past three days have indeed targeted American installations, including one on Thursday in southern Syria that resulted in light casualties.
The Islamic Resistance has claimed credit for a recent drone attack in western Iraq at the al-Asad Air Base. According to a U.S. official who verified the incident, it is too soon to tell the full extent of the damage. Iranian-backed militants have been using drones to teach Syrian friends and monitor Islamic State militant activity, and on Thursday, one of these drones attacked the al-Tanf garrison in southern Syria. Although one drone was successfully shot down, another struck the base, resulting in some minor injuries.
The base’s strategic location provides Iranian-backed militants with easy access to transport weaponry to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, right on Israel’s border. Syrian rebel activists also reported a separate drone attack on an American-occupied oil plant in eastern Syria. In the eastern region of Deir el-Zour, near the Iraqi border, three drones carrying explosives attacked a Conoco gas field.
The United States utilizes locations in Iraq to train personnel and conduct operations against the Islamic State. On Tuesday, terrorists launched three drones at two bases in Iraq. One alert at al-Asad during the flurry of launches was a false alarm, but it nevertheless caused a stampede into the bunkers. A contractor died of a heart attack during that occurrence.
The Pentagon has not confirmed who is behind the drone attacks but has promised to take any measures required to protect American and allied troops. Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, have declared their solidarity with the Palestinians and issued threats against Israel.
