Baghdad Suspects Israeli Attacks on Chinese-Sourced Missile Depots

Iraqi security sources believe Israel conducted recent strikes on two locations in the country where Iranian-backed militias stored shoulder-fired air defense systems. The weapons, which are of Chinese origin, were reportedly supplied by Tehran. This assessment was detailed by the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday. The report highlighted that the armed group responsible for selecting the storage spots considered the sites difficult to detect or reach. The suspected attacks occurred shortly after the shipments arrived at both locations last week.

The newspaper did not specify the exact model of the system involved or provide definitive evidence for its claims. It acknowledged that some details remained unconfirmed. In a related incident, an explosion occurred on October 17 at a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces. The PMF is a paramilitary umbrella group that includes many Iranian-backed militias. The force initially described the blast as an accident, and the Iraqi government promised an investigation. The report stated that the explosion hit a stockpile of obsolete ammunition at a headquarters in Baghdad's East Canal area, injuring five people.

An anonymous Iraqi official noted that authorities were still examining the circumstances of the October 17 blast. The newspaper observed that more than a week had passed without an official update. Other sources linked this mid-October event to a separate incident on October 1. At that time, warehouses associated with Iran-backed groups in and around Baghdad were apparently affected. These sites reportedly held drones intended for suicide attacks and reconnaissance missions. A security official indicated that while the exact nature of the strikes had not been determined, authorities had gathered enough evidence to suspect Israeli involvement.

This is not the first time Iraqi officials have attributed regional strikes to Israel. Iranian-backed militias previously blamed Israel for attacks in 2019 and a strike near the Iraqi border in Syria. In May, The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel established a secret airstrip in Iraq during its campaign against Iran. The newspaper also noted unconfirmed accounts of Israeli fighter jets flying through Iraqi airspace near the Iranian border with the support of midair refueling tankers.

Iran has armed Iraqi militias for years with missiles and drones capable of threatening Israel. These groups carried out numerous attacks on Israel after the war began in October 2023. Since the US and Israel began airstrikes in February, Iran has attempted to turn Iraq into a frontline. The country has conducted over 1,000 strikes on the Kurdistan Region using drones and missiles. Additionally, Iran and its allied militias have mounted 600 attacks across Iraq, some targeting US diplomatic sites. The US withdrew its forces from Iraq on September 30, a deadline agreed upon with Baghdad, and has advised Americans to avoid traveling to Baghdad.

The newspaper appeared to connect earlier reports of China supplying weapons to Iran with the movement of similar systems to Iraq, though it described this link as unconfirmed. China's Foreign Ministry denied such reports on July 28. In a separate development, an Iran-backed militia attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline with a drone, reportedly launched from Iraq's Maysan province. That border crossing has since been closed due to US pressure and Iraqi concerns regarding trafficking.

Asharq Al-Awsat concluded that these strikes signal the start of a new round of conflict. A source within the Shi'ite Coordination Framework stated that ruling party leaders had predicted that renewed war between Washington and Tehran would begin with the destruction of Iraqi factions' capabilities. Most major PMF groups, except for the Badr Organization, are sanctioned by the US as terrorist organizations. Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of militias, published a statement claiming that Iraqi airspace is being violated.