Baghdad (QNN)- Israel established a secret military base inside Iraq before the war with Iran and later launched air strikes against Iraqi forces that nearly discovered the site, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper cited informed sources who said Israel built the covert base in the Iraqi desert with the knowledge of the United States. The facility reportedly housed Israeli special forces and served as a logistical support center for the Israeli Air Force during operations against Iran.
According to the report, Israel positioned search-and-rescue teams at the base in case Iranian forces shot down Israeli pilots during the war. Sources said Israel also offered to help the United States recover American pilots after an F-15 fighter jet crashed near Isfahan in Iran earlier this year.
The report stated that Israel participated in air strikes designed to secure the US rescue operation.
The existence of the secret base nearly became public in March after an Iraqi shepherd reportedly noticed suspicious military activity in the area and alerted authorities. Iraqi media later reported that Iraqi army units moved toward the site to investigate.
According to one source cited by the newspaper, Israeli forces responded by carrying out air strikes to keep Iraqi troops away from the location of the secret base.
The Iraqi government condemned the attack at the time after the strikes killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded two others.
Later in March, Iraq filed an official complaint to the United Nations accusing foreign forces of carrying out the air strikes and suggesting US involvement. However, the Wall Street Journal cited a source who said American forces did not directly participate in the attacks.
The report said the base allowed Israel to position itself closer to Iran during the war. Israeli Air Force special operations units and emergency rescue teams reportedly operated from the site to respond quickly to any urgent rescue missions.
Security experts quoted by the newspaper noted that US forces often establish temporary operational sites ahead of military campaigns. The report added that American forces also created a forward operating base inside Iran during the mission to rescue the downed US pilots near Isfahan earlier this year.
