The commander of Karbala Operations, Ali Ghazi Al-Hashemi, denied on Tuesday the presence of any Israeli forces or military camps in the desert areas of Najaf and Karbala, stating that the force spotted in the Najaf desert in March was Israeli but remained there for no more than 48 hours.
اضافة اعلان
In televised remarks, Al-Hashemi said there are currently no Israeli forces or camps in the Najaf desert.
Foreign and Israeli Media Reports
Questions have continued to circulate regarding what occurred in the Najaf desert after foreign and Israeli media reported the existence of a secret Israeli military site in the area during the war with Iran.
While Iraq’s Joint Operations Command denied on Monday the presence of any unauthorized foreign forces or bases on Iraqi territory, it acknowledged that Iraqi forces had clashed on March 5 with unidentified unauthorized units supported by aircraft in the deserts of Najaf and Karbala. According to officials, those units withdrew under air cover after Iraqi forces engaged them.
Iraqi Military Response
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani, acting as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and under the supervision of Chief of Staff Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, ordered the launch of Operation Enforcing Sovereignty in the deserts of Najaf and Karbala.
The operation involves search and sweep missions reaching depths of 70 kilometers into the desert to secure the road linking Karbala with the Nukhaib area.
Participating forces include:
Middle Euphrates Operations Command within the Popular Mobilization Forces
Karbala Operations Command
Anbar Operations Command within the Popular Mobilization Forces
The Second Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces
Reports from The Wall Street Journal
The Iraqi response came after The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials, that Israel had established a secret military site in the Iraqi desert to support operations against Iran.
According to the report, Israeli aircraft allegedly struck Iraqi forces that came close to discovering the site after a shepherd reported unusual activity in the area. The newspaper also claimed that the United States was aware of the alleged facility.
Former Prime Minister Calls for Transparency
Former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi called for the truth behind the reports to be disclosed, describing the alleged existence of a secret military base in Najaf as a dangerous breach of Iraqi sovereignty requiring public clarification and accountability.
He criticized what he described as governance based on media narratives rather than real control over national territory.
Government Adviser Offers Alternative Explanation
Hussein Allawi, adviser to Prime Minister Al-Sudani, rejected claims of an Israeli military base in Iraq and presented a different account.
He said the incident involved an airborne operation intended to recover an unidentified object that had fallen from the sky during the regional conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
According to Allawi, intelligence provided by a shepherd alerted Iraqi security forces, leading to a confrontation that left:
One Iraqi soldier dead
Two others injured
Two Humvee military vehicles damaged
He said Iraq initially suspected the force may have belonged to the international coalition, but coalition forces denied any involvement.
Allawi insisted that reports of an Israeli base, maps, and circulated images were inaccurate.
Parliamentary Investigation
Iraq’s Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee announced plans to summon senior security officials to investigate reports of foreign military activity in desert regions between Karbala and Anbar.
Lawmakers said they reject any attempt to use Iraqi territory as a launch point for attacks against neighboring countries.
Security Media Clarification
Security spokesman Saad Maan denied reports of any current airborne operations or unknown forces in the Karbala and Najaf deserts, stating that the incident in question occurred approximately two months ago.
He confirmed that Iraqi forces clashed on March 5 with unauthorized armed units supported by air cover east of Nukhaib.
He added that extensive inspections conducted throughout April and early May found no trace of the force or its equipment, emphasizing that the situation is under control and that all necessary security measures have been taken.
Source: Agencies
