South Front
Official banner of The Islamic Resistance in Iraq – ‘Ashab al-Kahf
A pro-Iran shadowy armed group has warned the Iraqi government over increasing activities by the United States intelligence in the country.
In a statement released on April 23, the group, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq – ‘Ashab al-Kahf, said that the U.S. intelligence recently moved more personnel and equipment from Ali Al Salem Air Base in neighboring Kuwait to Victory Base Complex in Baghdad International Airport.
“The government of [Prime Minister] al-Sudani should pay attention to the increasing number of American forces in Iraq and its surroundings. Attention must be also paid to what the Americans are planning in this particular period, which is to help the temporary Israeli entity, and to increase the transfer of logistical support through Iraqi airspace,” the statement reads.
The group also shared two videos showing a CH-47 Chinook and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters of the U.S. military flying over an unspecified part of Iraq.
The warning came exactly a week after U.S. troops downed a small quadcopter drone that was reportedly spying on Victory Base Complex.
‘Ashab al-Kahf is one of several pro-Iran groups that emerged in Iraq after the assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, Deputy-Commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, and Commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Qassim Soleimani, by the U.S. more than three years ago.
Earlier this month, the group vowed to shoot down U.S. military helicopters operating over Iraq using American-made FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air-defense systems.
The U.S. maintains some 2,500 troops in Iraq, most of whom are deployed in military installations in Baghdad and in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region. ‘Ashab al-Kahf and other pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq want to put an end to this presence.
Tension between the U.S. and Iran in the Middle East has been on the rise for a few weeks now. Last month, the U.S. Central Command and forces backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exchanged deadly strikes in northeastern Syria.
