Ain al-Asad base: Escalating security concerns amid Gaza conflict

Iraqi sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that US forces have cut off "information exchange channels" with Iraqi army leaders stationed with them at the Ain al-Asad base in light of the recent armed attacks. 

This article was originally published in, translated from the Arab outlet of Asharq Al-Awsat.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Americans stopped, or greatly restricted, the channels of military information and data that they were exchanging with the Iraqis at a military base in the west of the country.

The sources explained that the American step came after a limited number of faction attacks reached precise targets inside the base and that "there are precautionary measures in anticipation of more of them." 

According to the sources, the Americans believe that their coordinates inside the base are being leaked by a local party to "the party carrying out the attacks."

Commenting on this information, a senior Iraqi officer denied that "the Iraqi forces' connection in Ain al-Asad has been cut off with American advisors and trainers," saying: "The training program is continuing at its normal pace." 

It was not immediately possible to obtain a comment from the international coalition forces in Iraq.

The last attack on the base was last Tuesday, when two drones targeted it with two missiles, which did not result in any injuries or damage, according to Reuters.

One day before that, four "Katyusha" rockets were fired from a desert area about 25 kilometers north of the base, while two Iraqi army officials said that the rockets may have fallen far from the base. 

However, Iraqi sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that one or two attacks caused a more accurate hit than others.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, the Ain al-Asad base has been subjected to a series of attacks with drones and missiles, while American concern escalated after a number of these attacks reached unprecedented "accuracy."