Iraqi Forces Search Desert After Reports of Foreign Troops

Iraqi forces swept desert and border areas after being placed on high alert following reports that foreign troops had operated inside the country during the Middle East war. -Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, foreign troops were detected in the Najaf desert in the country's southwest.

Security officials and witnesses told AFP that a shepherd who was the first to spot the troops was killed when a helicopter struck his pickup.

Iraqi authorities have acknowledged that unknown troops were present for no more than 48 hours in the Najaf desert but have not publicly identified them. Two Iraqi security sources told AFP that Israeli forces operated from the Najaf desert during the war.

One security official said Israeli forces established a base on an abandoned airstrip built by Saddam Hussein in the Najaf desert. U.S. officials. U.S. Another security official told AFP that Iraqi authorities asked the United States if the troops were theirs, but they were told it was not them.

U.S. forces accompanied by an Israeli technical team. He also said the foreign forces used an old airstrip built by Saddam and that CH-57 Chinook helicopters were seen at the site.

During the first week of the war, local media reported that a shepherd spotted military activity in the vast Najaf desert. Security sources told AFP that the shepherd was killed when a helicopter fired on his pickup, which remains in the desert. The shepherd was traveling to sell sheep, buy essentials and refuel when he was caught off guard by foreign forces, according to witnesses who knew him.

AFP's correspondent reported seeing a grave six meters from the pickup inscribed with a name and a date of death of March 3, 2026. The grave may be symbolic or contain remains of the body, which was later buried in the holy city of Karbala. -led anti-jihadist coalition about an air raid in Najaf.

He said that after receiving reports of individuals or movement in the Najaf desert, Iraq's military sent a force to investigate. The troops came under heavy aerial fire, leaving one soldier dead and two others wounded.

One security official said the government cannot openly say they were Israeli forces because Iraq's troops did not engage directly with them. On May 11, Iraq's military said its forces conducted sweeps in the deserts and border areas, insisting there are no unauthorized bases or forces on Iraqi soil at the moment.

It warned against reports that harm Iraq's reputation. The Israeli military did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Reports have also emerged about a possible Israeli presence in Nineveh province in the country's north, and troops were sent there for inspections.