Islamic Resistance Accuses US Of Continuing To Violate Iraqi Airspace
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq says US fighter, surveillance, refueling and transport aircraft continued military flights over several parts of the country despite Washington’s announced withdrawal of Coalition forces.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has accused US forces of repeatedly violating Iraqi airspace, claiming that US fighter and surveillance aircraft continued conducting military flights over several parts of the country even as Washington announced the withdrawal of Coalition forces.
According to a new field-monitoring report released by the Islamic Resistance’s media outlet on Friday, 14 US military flights were recorded over Iraqi airspace on Sept. 30 alone, coinciding with the announced deadline for the withdrawal of Coalition forces.
The report said the flights were recorded despite what it described as Washington’s stated commitment to respecting Iraq’s sovereignty.
The report listed several instances of what it described as violations of Iraqi airspace.
It said an F-35 advanced fighter aircraft took off from Jordan, flew over Baghdad International Airport and areas west of the capital, and later moved toward the Sarsar and Ramadi areas.
It also reported that a KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft entered Iraqi airspace from Jordan and flew over Anbar province and the Euphrates basin.
According to the report, a C-130 military transport aircraft took off from Ain al-Asad air base and conducted a flight over Anbar, despite earlier announcements concerning the withdrawal of forces from the base.
The Islamic Resistance also said an E-11 military communications aircraft was monitored over western areas of Iraq.
The report further claimed that F-16 fighter aircraft were observed over Baghdad and Basra, while transport and refueling aircraft were monitored over Mosul, Anbar and Basra.
It also said unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, were used for surveillance and intelligence missions over Kirkuk, Baghdad and the Qaim border crossing.
At the conclusion of its report, the Islamic Resistance said it was closely monitoring all US aerial movements and taking Washington’s actions and commitments into consideration.
The group called on Iraqi officials and the government to make their position clear regarding what it described as continued violations of Iraq’s territorial sovereignty.