Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Yemen attack US base, down drone
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The so-called Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iranian-backed militias, attacked on Wednesday a US base in Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Meanwhile, Houthi militias shot down a US MQ-9 drone in Yemen amid increasing regional tension.
The Iranian-backed group in Iraq claimed responsibility for attacking the al-Harir air base near Erbil, which hosts US troops, with two drones.
In the meantime, a military spokesperson of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia said in a statement they shot down a US drone over Yemeni territorial waters.
A US defense official told CNN, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down by Houthi militias off the coast of Yemen.
The downing of the drone came several weeks after a US Navy warship, the USS Carney, intercepted multiple missiles and drones fired by the Houthis. They were heading north along the Red Sea likely towards Israel.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, following a surprise attack by Hamas, Iranian-backed militias have stepped up their attacks against US bases in Syria and Iraq.