“Iraqi military denies reports of secret foreign bases in Karbala desert The Iraqi Armed Forces denied reports of unauthorised foreign military installations in the country, rejecting claims of a secret military presence in the deserts near Karbala and Najaf. In a statement posted on X, the military said the rumours stemmed from a clash on 5 March involving Iraqi security forces and what it described as “unidentified, unlicensed detachments”. According to the statement, Iraqi forces pushed the group back despite it receiving air cover, with the fighting resulting in the death of one Iraqi soldier and injuries to two others. The military said inspections conducted by the Joint Operations Command confirmed that “no unauthorised bases or forces have been present” since then, and warned of legal action against those spreading what it called misleading information. The statement followed a report by The Wall Street Journal claiming Israel had established a covert military base in the Iraqi desert to support air strikes against Iran.
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