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The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iranian-backed armed factions, has claimed responsibility for the January 18 downing of a United States military MQ-9 Reaper combat drone over the northeastern Iraqi province of Diyala.
In a statement released on January 19, the group said that the drone was shot down using a “suitable weapon,” confirming that it originally took off from Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. The drone crashed in the district of Miqdadiyah, close to Balad Air Base.
The drone was targeted as an act of resistance against the U.S. occupation of Iraq as well as in response to the ongoing Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip, according to the group.
U.S. officials confirmed to AFP and other news agencies that a drone crashed in Iraq and said that the wreckage was recovered by government forces.
MQ-9 drones, which cost upwards of $30 million per a unit, are primarily used to collect intelligence, but also have the ability to conduct pinpoint strikes. The advanced drones can operate for more than 27 hours and reach altitudes of over 25,000 feet.
The IRI has launched more than 140 attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17, ten days after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, according to the Pentagon. Dozens of troops were lightly wounded and material losses were reported.
The U.S. responded more than once, attacking targets linked to the IRI in both Iraq and Syria. However, the group remains undeterred. In recent weeks, it even escalated attacks against targets in Israel using long-range suicide drones and cruise missiles.
keep at it iri…
good shoot more down
unfortunately drones irrespective of their costs do not bring the political pressure in the media to remove us military personnel from the region.
only shooting down piloted planes will have this effect
the wreckage must be delivred to iran, russia, n corea and china !!! not restitude to the terrorist who send it to irak !!
ithe drone was actually shot down by a bavar-373 fired from inside iran but the u.s. won’t retaliate because it is afraid to death of getting bogged down in a regional war with iran.
takto sa to to robí!!! treba pokračovať a nezastaviť sa, kým nebude irak a sýria slobodné od okupantov z usa!!! smrť okupantom!!! mor ho!!! svetu mier!!!
there is a good chance that the gaza conflict will escalate in such a way that the us will be driven out of iraq as it was done in afghanistan. a new six-day war against israel is hardly realistic because the usa would strike with full force. but active resistance, like in afghanistan, will push the us into either another full-scale war or withdrawal. i’m guessing the latter due to lack of political will.
it is already happening. one of us destroyers got damaged by a houthi attack, us aircraft carrier is gradually retreating from the red sea. supplies for the us is getting harder to get. the zionist regime exposed themselves as incompetent.