Israel hit rocket depot in Iraq, expanding target area beyond Syria, report says

“Sources revealed that the strikes targeted Iranian ‘advisers’ and a ballistic missile shipment that had recently arrived from Iran to Iraq,” according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

By World Israel News Staff  

Israel “carried out an airstrike earlier this month against an Iranian rockets depot” in Iraq, according to Asharq Al-Awsat, an Arabic international newspaper headquartered in London.

According to the newspaper, the rockets depot which was attacked is located northeast of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Citing western diplomatic sources, Asharq Al-Awsat reports that “Israel has expanded the scope of its Iranian targets in Iraq and Syria.”

It says that the attack in Iraq took place on July 19 and “was carried out by an Israeli F-35 fighter jet.”

An air raid was also carried out on Sunday targeting the Ashraf base in Iraq, says the Arabic news outlet, noting that the base is located 80 kilometers from the border with Iran and 40 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, though it seemed less clear from the report whether it could be verified that Israel was behind this airstrike.

The Pentagon denied a connection to the strike. Israel did not react, says Israeli public broadcaster Kan.

“Sources revealed that the strikes targeted Iranian ‘advisers’ and a ballistic missile shipment that had recently arrived from Iran to Iraq,” according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Israel has been linked to repeated airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria, including last week on Tal al-Hara. The Arabic newspaper cites diplomatic sources as saying that the attack in Syria “targeted Iran’s attempt to seize control of the strategic hill, located in Daraa countryside in southern Syria.”

On certain occasions, Israeli leaders have taken responsibility for attacks on Syrian territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken often of the need to prevent Iranian entrenchment in Syria.

Due to the many attacks on Iranian interests in Syria, the Revolutionary Guard is making an effort “to concentrate military infrastructures in Iraq,” says Kan.