SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Two explosive-laden drones launched to target a military base at Baghdad airport were shot down by the C-RAM defense system, Iraqi media reported.
A security source said two drones targeted the Victory military base at Baghdad airport at dawn on Monday, Shafaq News reported.
The C-RAM defense system brought down the drones, the news outlet said.
Meanwhile, BBC reporter Nafiseh Kohnavard tweeted that the U.S.-led Coalition came under rocket attack at around 04:30 a.m. local time in Baghdad airport.
“Anti rocket system, C-RAM, engaged the improvised cruise missiles,” she cited a Coalition official as saying.
“No casualties, they were shot down,” she quoted the official as saying.
Photos circulated on social media showed “Soleimani’s revenge” being written on the drones.
The attack comes as Hashid al-Shaabi marked the second anniversary of the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad two years ago.
Soleimani headed an elite overseas unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, while Muhandis commanded Hashid al-Shaabi paramilitary network in Iraq.
The United States had accused Soleimani of masterminding attacks by Iranian-aligned militias on U.S. forces in the region.
Iraqi media cited intelligence sources as saying on Saturday that pro-Iranian militias planned to attack the U.S. embassy in Baghdad in retaliation for the drone strike that killed Soleimani and Muhandis.
Al-Arabiya channel reported that a security document of the Iraqi intelligence revealed the “existence of a plot by pro-Iranian militias to target the U.S. embassy with missiles” in retaliation of the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis.
“The document recommended intensifying security efforts in Baghdad and conducting thorough searches in the Palestine Street area, where armed militias loyal to Iran are present,” Al-Arabia said.
