Two armed drones were shot down near an Iraqi military base hosting US forces and the Jerusalem Post newspaper was targeted by pro-Iranian hackers Monday as Iran marked the second anniversary of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani’s death.
Iraqi security forces said nobody was hurt in the incident at the base near Baghdad’s international airport.
An official with the US-led international coalition in Iraq said the base’s defense system engaged “two fixed-wing suicide drones” that were “shot down without incident.”
“This was a dangerous attack on a civilian airport,” the coalition official said in a brief statement.
The official also provided footage to Reuters that showed writing that said “Soleimani’s revenge” on the wing of one drone.
A security official holds part of the wreckage of a drone with Arabic that reads, “revenge operations for our leaders,” at Baghdad airport, Iraq on Jan. 3, 2022. International Coalition via AP
Parts of the wreckage of a drone lie on the ground after being shot down on Jan. 3, 2022. International Coalition via APNo one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though armed Iran-backed groups operating in Iraq have taken credit for similar incidents in the past.
Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post’s homepage was replaced with an image showing a ballistic missile falling from what appears to be a representation of the hand of Soleimani and an exploding target from a recent Iranian military drill designed to look like the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near the city of Dimona.
“We are close to you where you do not think about it,” the text on the image read.
“We are aware of the apparent hacking of our website, alongside a direct threat to Israel,” the Jerusalem Post said in a statement. “We are working to resolve the issue & thank readers for your patience and understanding.”
Qassem Soleimani (center) was killed by a drone strike on Jan. 3, 2020 while he and his troops were moving toward Baghdad’s airport. Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP, File
A security official inspects the wreckage of a drone at Baghdad airport on January 3, 2022 after they were shot down. International Coalition via APThe newspaper later restored its site. It noted Iran-supporting hackers previously targeted its homepage in 2020.
Soleimani, who led the elite Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike ordered by President Donald Trump as his convoy traveled near the Baghdad airport on Jan. 3, 2020.
Supporters of Iranian-backed militia groups met at the Baghdad airport Sunday to chant anti-American slogans to mark the anniversary of Soleimani’s death.
With Post wires
