Iraqi soldiers deployed to provide intensive security in Baghdad. Reuters
Iraqi soldiers deployed to provide intensive security in Baghdad. Reuters
Iraqi soldiers deployed to provide intensive security in Baghdad. Reuters
Iraqi soldiers deployed to provide intensive security in Baghdad. Reuters

Iraqi army shoots down two drones near Baghdad after suspected militia operation


Sinan Mahmoud
  • English
  • Arabic

Two drones laden with explosives have been shot down by Iraqi security forces outside Baghdad.

One was flying over the Rasheed Camp area in the south-east of the capital and the other was shot down over the southern suburb of Al Kirtan, Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in two statements.

It is unclear which group operated the drones, which were destroyed late on Tuesday. The authorities did not provide more details on their model or routes.

Iraqi resistance factions will not give up the military choice and military operations - only after the US troops leave Iraq

Photos of the wreckage suggest they are basic unmanned aerial vehicles, distinct from more advanced designs such as the Chinese Wing Loong II or the US Reaper.

Iraqi forces operate a small number of Wing Loong and CH-4B drones as well as US-made ScanEagle drones.

This is the first time Iraqi forces have shot down drones since the Iran-backed militias increased drone attacks against US troops based in Iraqi military bases.

The latest attack was at dawn on Monday when a drone dropped bombs above Camp Victory next to Baghdad International Airport, hitting the outer fence of the Iraqi Air Force base. No casualties were reported.

Earlier this month, two explosive drones were destroyed over Ain Al Asad base housing US troops, located in the Iraqi Western Desert.

Drones shot down near Baghdad. Sinan Mahmoud / The National
Drones shot down near Baghdad. Sinan Mahmoud / The National

Iran-allied Shiite militias have stepped up their attacks against US forces since the US drone attack January 3 last year that killed Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.

The influential Iraqi militia leader, Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, and several aides were also killed in the attack outside Baghdad airport.

Since then, the militias have been staging bomb, rocket and now drone attacks against military bases, logistics convoys and the American Embassy in Baghdad, to force US troops out of Iraq.

Threats of more attacks renewed on Monday, from one of the influential pro-Iran militia leaders.

“Iraqi resistance factions will not give up the military choice and military operations - only after the US troops leave Iraq,” said Qais Al Khazali in a televised speech to mark the anniversary of the death of a senior Shite cleric.

“The decision to escalate [the attacks] has come into force,” added Mr Al Kazali who leads the Asaib Ahl Al Haq militia.

He warned that if US troops respond by attacking the militias' leaders or headquarters then “they have to be sure that we are capable to strike back”.

The use of drones against US interests by Shiite militias is a recent tactic. The US military has also accused pro-Iran Iraqi groups of helping Yemen's Houthi rebels carry out attacks against critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

On Sunday, Iran-backed militias in Iraq revealed a collection of long-range drones that could hit other countries in the region, including Israel.

PMF militias in Iraq showcase their new air capabilities,which consist of Iranian-designed drones, the kind that are increasingly being used in attacks on US forces in Iraq and other countries in the region.
PMF militias in Iraq showcase their new air capabilities,which consist of Iranian-designed drones, the kind that are increasingly being used in attacks on US forces in Iraq and other countries in the region.

Video footage emerged on social media of Iraqi groups in the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella organisation of militias, parading an array of apparently new drones.

Most PMF groups are trained, advised and equipped by Iran, although they have a formal status in Iraq's armed forces.

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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

Results

2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)

2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili

3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson

3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer

4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar

4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly

Coal Black Mornings

Brett Anderson

Little Brown Book Group 

Pakistan squad

Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi

Results

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,000m, Winner: Hazeem Al Raed, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)

5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,000m, Winner: Ghazwan Al Khalediah, Hugo Lebouc, Helal Al Alawi

6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Dinar Al Khalediah, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi.

6.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Faith And Fortune, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Only Smoke, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: AF Ramz, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: AF Mass, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

Sinopharm vaccine explained

The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades. 

“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.

"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."

This is then injected into the body.

"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.

"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."

The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.

Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.

“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

2019 ASIA CUP POTS

Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand

Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam

Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan

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