SUSPECTED Israeli stealth fighters blitzed an Iran-backed military base in Iraq in another “shadow war” strike overnight.
Three F-35 Lightning fighters were reported to have spearheaded the attack at an Iranian puppet group’s terror base 30 miles south of Baghdad.
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No aircraft were detected in the area before huge explosions at a command post left at least one dead and eight wounded.
Israel operates a strike force of 75 F-35s – rated as the world’s most powerful war jet thanks to their space age weaponry and radar-dodging technology.
The strike early today hammered a Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF) HQ in Kalso which is bankrolled by the terror-stoking mullahs of Iran.
Israel made no comment on the attack but the US confirmed it had not been involved – and no regional force but Israel has the firepower and motive to launch the strike.
Blasts erupted hours after another Israeli missile strike knocked out an air defence site near a giant nuclear plant at Isfahan, central Iran early on Friday.
The Israelis have not claimed responsibility for the Iran attack – its first ever direct action sparked by thwarted Iran’s 320 missile and drone attack a week ago.
But it was yesterday being seen as a warning to its arch enemy that its forces can strike targets like the nearby Natanz atom plant at will.
Iran’s military commanders have insisted Friday’s attack was a failed triple drone strike launched from inside Iran, so weak it did not merit retaliation.
Foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the drones were like “children’s toys” and blamed a generic “infiltrator” instead of naming Israel.
Today’s strike on Iranian allies in Iraq was another sign that the enemies have resumed their long, undeclared “shadow war” where tit-for-tat attacks are not admitted.
US officials denied any involvement by the American military, who have previously been targeted by the PMF inside Iraq.
A statement from the militia group said: “The blast has caused material damage and injuries.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s office said the explosion rocked the base at around 1am, sparking a fire inside Camp Kalso.
PMF sources said two strikes targeted their army, police and security force HQ at the Kalso base near the Iskandariya.
They confirmed one PMF member had died and eight others were injured, including a member of the Iraqi army.
The PMF is an Iranian backed militia with more than 100,000 fighters which sprang up after the Islamic State terror group was crushed in Iraq.
It has been stockpiling missiles and drones and is believed to have contributed to last week’s attack, which was 99 per cent repelled by Israel’s Iron Dome missiles and allied warplanes.
The 1,200mph, £88 million F-35s are the world’s most advanced stealth fighter jet with incredible firepower plus electronic jamming and spy plane capabilities.
Israel has refused to give any details, but long-range F-35s are also suspected of launching the missiles used in the ground-breaking direct attack on Iran early on Friday.
Tensions eased across the Middle East yesterday as no Iranian retaliation materialised but Israel remained on high alert.
After the Israeli hit in Isfahan, blasts were heard in Iraq and Syria in what appeared to be further hits on Iranian puppet terror groups.
They seemed to land in the As-Suwayda Governorate of southern Syria and near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, but there was no confirmation of Israeli origin.
Iran has a long arm of influence around the region via its proxy groups.
A huge backer of Hamas – it is widely believed to have been involved in Hamas’ massacre in Israel on October 7.
In the months following as war escalated between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip, PMF factions launched rocket and drone attacks on US forces in Iraq.
The attacks stopped in early February – when the US killed 16 PMF members in an airstrike in Western Iraq.
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Credit Gist New Today News in Newspaper Nigeria Headlines