Israel built and defended secret base in Iraq for war against Iran

(Patria) - Israel established a secret military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes on Iraqi troops who nearly discovered it.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported this, citing people familiar with the matter, including US officials.

Israel built the facility, which served as accommodation for special forces and a logistics hub for the Israeli Air Force, with the knowledge of the US shortly before the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran, the newspaper states.

It also included search and rescue teams positioned to assist downed Israeli pilots, the Journal reported, according to Reuters.

Reuters could not independently confirm the report. There was no immediate response from the Israeli Prime Minister's office to Reuters' request for comment.

The base was discovered in early March after Iraqi state media reported that a local shepherd had reported unusual military activity, including helicopter movements in the area.

Iraqi troops were dispatched to investigate, but Israeli forces used airstrikes to keep them at bay and prevent the location from being discovered, the newspaper reported, citing one of the sources.

The Journal cited a complaint filed with the United Nations later in March, in which Iraq claimed foreign forces and airstrikes were involved in the attack, attributing it to the US.

The WSJ quoted a person familiar with the matter as saying that the United States was not involved in the attack.