Today, Saturday, the Iraqi army announced that it thwarted attacks by 3 drones that tried to target Balad Air Base in Salah al-Din Governorate, in the north of the country.
The Security Media Cell (official affiliated with the Ministry of Defense) stated – in a statement – that 3 drones approached this dawn today from the southern perimeter of Balad Air Base in Salah al-Din Governorate.
She added that the planes were seen with the naked eye by the force charged with protecting the external towers, and making sure that they were enemy planes, as the force opened fire towards these planes, which fled.
The commander of Balad Air Base, Major General Zia Mohsen, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that “at five and a quarter in the morning today, 3 drones were observed approaching Balad Air Base, and they issued an order to shoot them, and the planes fled,” noting that ” It was foggy and these planes could not target the base.”
“Balad Al-Jawiya explains the details of thwarting the attack of the marches and discloses a new development in securing the airspace.” https://t.co/vFnpzo7haC
— Aware (@INA__NEWS) January 15, 2022
He pointed out that “more strict measures have been taken to secure the base’s perimeter by using armed and unmanned aircraft, to address any hostile target, as well as using the air defense weapons present at the base.”
Balad Air Base in northern Iraq is considered the largest military air base in the country, and includes squadrons of American F-16 aircraft, and the military bases also include technicians from the American side to help maintain aircraft.