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A covert IDF outpost operated deep inside the Iraqi desert during the opening phase of the war with Iran, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post's senior military correspondent and intelligence analyst, Yonah Jeremy Bob.
Bob reported that said the base was established shortly before Operation Roaring Lion and was used by Israeli Air Force special forces as a logistical hub and emergency rescue point for pilots shot down over enemy territory. This comes after reports by The Wall Street Journal and Qatari media about IDF operations in and over Iraq related to the Iran war.
The outpost remained off public records until recently and was located in a remote desert area, but the WSJ report did not specify how the base was built, who supplied it, or whether Iraqi officials knew of its existence.
The secrecy of the operation was nearly exposed in March after a local shepherd reportedly noticed unusual helicopter activity and alerted Iraqi forces. Iraqi troops then moved toward the area, prompting Israeli airstrikes that pushed them back. One Iraqi soldier was killed in the incident.
Iraq later condemned the strike publicly and filed a complaint with the United Nations, while a US source cited in the report said American forces were not involved.
The report described the episode as a rare glimpse into a hidden military operation that remained undisclosed until this past weekend.