Israeli Military Operated Two Covert Bases in Western Iraq

Senior Iraqi and regional officials said Israel maintained two secret bases in Iraq's western desert for more than a year to support operations against Iran. The presence of one base was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal. Iraqi officials later confirmed to The New York Times that a second undisclosed site also existed in the same region.

March 3, a truck driven by Awad al-Shammari, 29, left a Bedouin encampment near al-Nukhaib for a grocery trip. Witnesses said a helicopter pursued the vehicle, firing repeatedly until it stopped in the sand. Mr. al-Shammari had contacted Iraq's regional military command to report soldiers, helicopters and tents around a landing strip. His family believes the discovery cost him his life.

Iraqi officials told The New York Times that Israel operated the two bases intermittently. The sites supported military operations against Iran, a regional partner of Baghdad, according to the officials. The bases remained hidden from public view for well over a year before the March incident brought attention to the first location.