SULAIMANI (ESTA) — A top U.S. general said finding better ways to counter attacks carried out by explosives-laden drone is a top priority, according to the Associated Press.
Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the U.S. Central Command, said the use of small drones by Iranian-backed militia was only going to grow in the next few years, AP cited him as saying.
McKenzie told reporters traveling with him that the U.S. must find more ways to counter their use by America’s enemies in the Middle East and elsewhere.
He made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Thursday, and then to northeast Syria where he met with troops and commanders on Friday.
In April, a drone targeted the U.S.-led Coalition forces in a base at Erbil airport, causing a large fire and damage to a building.
The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed militia groups for previous attacks, most of them rockets that have targeted the American presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq.
“We’re working very hard to find technical fixes that would allow us to be more effective against drones,” AP quoted the U.S. commander as saying.
He added that efforts were underway to look for ways to cut command and control links between a drone and its operator, improve radar sensors to quickly identify the threat as it approaches, and find effective electronic and kinetic ways to bring them down.
The groups attacking the U.S. and Coalition troops in Iraq have called for the withdrawal of foreign forces in the country.
Kataib Hezbollah said on Saturday that the U.S. refusal to withdraw its troops in Iraq was a “clear message that it only understands the language of force”.
“The Iraqi resistance confirms its full readiness to perform its legitimate, national and legal duty, and the jihadist resistance operations are continuing and will take an upward turn against the occupation,” it said in a statement.
McKenzie said the militia groups were frustrated because there had been some hope that U.S. forces would leave Iraq.
“They believe they can carry out attacks at a fairly low level that won’t provoke a response yet will create enough friction that will eventually induce us to leave,” AP quoted him as saying. “I think it’s a dangerous situation.”
