Iraqi groups say carried out drone attack on Israel's Eilat

AFP , Saturday 2 Nov 2024

A coalition of Iraqi groups said it carried out four drone attacks on the Israeli resort of Eilat on Saturday, after Israel said it intercepted three drones approaching from the east.

Eilat
A Saar-6 corvette, the latest-generation warship that Israel is using for its naval defence system, is seen in waters in Eilat, southern Israel. AP

 

In a statement, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said it was behind the attacks on what it called "four vital targets" in Eilat, all conducted within one hour.

Since the Israeli war on Gaza, Iraqi groups have frequently launched drones attack against Israel from inside Iraq, which US and partner forces have had to intercept, two officials told The Associated Press.

Both a US defence official and a regional security official said the one-way drones aren’t a retaliation from Iran for Israel’s strikes on its territory last week.

However the drone attacks have increased in number in recent weeks. There’s been an average of about five launches a day from Iraq against Israel, and within the last week, eight UAVs were fired in one 24-hour period, the regional security officer said.

The ongoing launches have increased the chance that Israel will respond directly to those attacks, the regional security official said.

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