Leaked document reveals plan to target US army base in Iraq

A classified document has revealed a plan to target a US base in the capital, Baghdad, on the first anniversary of the assassination of Iranian Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani.

This came in a document leaked from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior reported by local media, including private TV channel Dijlah TV, and circulated on social media platforms on Thursday.

On 3 January, Soleimani and Head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis were killed in a US raid while they were heading to Baghdad by car.

According to the document: “Outlaw elements intended to target the Victoria US military base, near Baghdad’s airport, with advanced technology missiles.”

The document indicated that “the date of attack was scheduled for 3 January,” explaining that: “The area that was to be targeted is the district of Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.”

The document did not specify the parties intending to launch the missile attack against the US military base.

There were no comments from the Iraqi authorities on the leaked document until 12:45 GMT.

On Sunday, unknown persons fired eight rockets on Baghdad’s Green Zone, where the US embassy is located. The majority of the missiles fell on residential buildings, while another hit a security checkpoint, leading to severely injuring a soldier, according to an Iraqi army statement.

On Wednesday, outgoing US President Donald Trump announced that his country’s embassy in Baghdad was attacked last Sunday with missiles, three of which failed to explode, while warning Iran of the repercussions of attempting to kill US nationals in Iraq.

Washington accuses Iraqi armed factions linked with Iran of initiating the attacks on the US embassy and military bases, where US soldiers are deployed.

Armed Shia factions, including the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades affiliated with Iran, threatened to target the US forces deployed in Iraq unless they withdrew in compliance with the parliament’s decision to end the presence of foreign military forces in the country.

The Iraqi parliament voted by a majority inJanuary to end foreign military presence in the country after the assassination of Soleimani and Al-Muhandis in a US raid near Baghdad International Airport.

Source: MEM