Video captured the moment two explosive-laden drones were shot down in an attempted attack on a US base in Iraq on Tuesday.
The foiled strike came a day after similar devices with ‘Soleimani’s revenge’ written on their wings were intercepted over Baghdad.
C-RAM air defences was able to shoot down the drones when they were approaching Ain al-Asad Airbase west of Baghdad.
This is the second attempt at attack, and it coincides with the 20th anniversary of Trump’s US-ordered air strike which killed Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian general.
Two drones carrying armed men were shot down Monday as they attempted to reach a building housing US advisors.
Scroll down to see the video
On Tuesday, the US Military posted video of two drones that were armed near a US base.
The drones were gunned down over the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq using C-RAM defenses
Within 24 hours, this was the second airstrike against US forces in Iraq
On Tuesday, January 4, 2007, parts of the drone’s wreckage were found on the ground close to the Ain al-Asad Airbase in western Anbar Province of Iraq.
Officials claim that two drones laden with explosives were used to attack an Iraqi military base, which houses US troops in the western Anbar Province.
The official stated that fixed-wing drones with explosives were intercepted at Ain al-Asad and destroyed.
The C-RAM “R2-D2” WEAPONS SYTEM USES SELF DESTRUCTING BULLETS IN ORDER TO TAKE OUT THE DRONES
C-RAM- is the Centurion Counter-Rocket and Artillery Mortar defense system. This defense system was used on Monday and Tuesday to stop the missiles being launched at US forces fighting in Iraq.
C-RAM is capable of shooting down small-range rockets. The C-RAM also fires up the M61 Vulcan 20mm gun, which can fire upwards to 4,500 rounds every minute. It is mounted on a swiveling base which is is guided and controlled by radar.
Radar systems can track and engage targets, as well as evaluate them. You can even assess any damage that has been done to the target after an attack.
The self-destructing round is used to minimize collateral damage and are often found in civilian areas. The C-RAM was developed in 2004 to react to the rapid acceleration of insurgency in Iraq and it’s based on the Navy’s Phalanx CIWS system.
It has a far shorter range than the Iron Dome, the system Israel uses to shoot down rockets fired by Hamas in Gaza, and is less effective but makes itself known with a piercing drill sound when in use.
C-RAM can shoot down targets within 1-5 nautical mile of the Iron Dome, while C-RAM is capable of shooting down weapons that extend beyond 40 miles. C-RAM also has a lower cost and maneuverability than the Iron Dome.
Both use a radar system to detect, evaluate and take out approaching munitions. They are normally used to defend troops on bases across the Middle East or southwest Asia. Remote control gives them an additional layer of protection.
C-RAM at Bagram airportfield. File image. Soldiers often refer to the defense system as R2D2. The defense system is fitted with a radar to detect and analyze munition before it fires M-940 20mm Multipurpose Target-Self Destruct (MPT–SD) rounds at up to 4,500 per second –
The attempted attack was confirmed by the Iraqi military, who stated that drones were fired at outside of base boundaries.
It houses the troops of the US-led international alliance fighting Islamic State (IS), in Iraq.
The C-RAM defense system, which protects American bases in Iraq, shot the drones down Monday. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft.
The attack was not claimed by any group, though one of their drone wings bore the message “Soleimani’s Revenge” according to coalition officials and Iraqi officials.
A coalition official stated that the attacks were directed against Iraqi infrastructures and against civilians and military personnel who protect them.
“We keep a small footprint on Iraqi military bases. The coalition does not have any bases in Iraq.
United States leads the international coalition against Islamic State militants operating in Iraq and Syria. About 900 US troops are currently stationed in Syria. Another 2,500 are stationed at the Iraqi border.
Hackers took control of media outlets in Iran’s declared enemy, Israel. An ominous image showing a missile fired from an arm with a finger that had a ring similar to Soleimani appeared on the Jerusalem Post homepage.
General Qassim Soleimani was killed in a drone attack by the US on Baghdad’s Airport. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was deputy commander of Iran-backed militias, also known as Popular Mobilisation Forces.
Pro-Iran Shia militias in Iraq have promised revenge on those who have been killed and they have made it clear that the US will not be attacking Iraq again unless all American troops are evacuated from the country.
The US-led Coalition officially ended last month its support to Iraqi forces during the ongoing battle against IS.
As part of the advisory mission for continued support to Iraqi forces, some 2,500 troops will still be with the coalition.
The official from the coalition stated that while we had ended the combat mission, they retain the right to self-defense.
Soleimani was shot to death in an attack on drones near Baghdad by Donald Trump’s then-US president.
Ebrahim Raisi, President of Iran, said Monday that Trump should be tried for murder or Tehran will take revenge.
Raisi published the vindictive diatribe at the second anniversary Soleimani died, as many gathered to pay their respects at the mosques of Iran and other Middle East allied nations.
Soleimani led the Quds Force shadowy operations arm Iran’s Revolutionary Guards with links to terrorists in Iraq and Syria.
The commander was blown up in his motorcade by a Reaper drone missile outside Baghdad airport in 2020 in a strike ordered by Trump after intelligence revealed Soleimani was planning attacks on American soldiers in Iraq.
People cheer while they watch in Beirut’s capital a televised speech of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese Shiite movements. It was a memorial service to mark the 2nd anniversary of the US drone strike which killed Qasem Solimani (top commander of Iran revolutionary guard corp)
A woman displays an image of Qasem Solimani (the slain top commander) of the Iranian revolution guard corps (IRGC) during a memorial ceremony marking the second anniversary of their deaths. The service was held at a school in Beirut’s southern suburb on January 3, 2022.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech during a ceremony in the capital Tehran, on January 3 commemorating the second anniversary of the killing in Iraq of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani
Addressing Tehran’s largest mosque, Raisi said: ‘The aggressor and the main assassin, the then president of the United States, must face justice and retribution’ alongside former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo ‘and other criminals’.
“Otherwise,” I would tell US leaders, that without any doubt, the hand of revenge will come out of the sleeves of the Muslim country.
Trump, under whom tensions about Iran’s nuclear program had escalated to the point of an even more severe sanctions regime, ordered the assassination that brought his enemies close to military conflict.
Washington stated at the time Soleimani had plans to launch an attack against US personnel in Iraq. Iraq is a war-torn nation that has been divided over principal allies Washington, Tehran.
Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Soleimani were killed in the US attack on January 3, 2020. They are both deputy leaders of Iran-backed Hashed al-Shaabi coalition.
Trump directed a nighttime strike against a convoy of Soleimani to Muhandis, who were travelling near the airport’s edge.
Unidentified soldier looks at the remains of the bombed drone targeted at US troops at Baghdad Airport.
The message, “Soleimani’s Revenge” was written in Arabic and scanned across the wings of one of these drones.
Soleimani, pictured as a 2013 leader of the Quds Force shadowy operations arm Iran’s Revolutionary Guards with links to terrorists in Iraq and Lebanon, Palestine territories, Syria, Yemen, and Yemen
After intelligence showed that Soleimani had planned attacks against American soldiers in Iraq, Trump ordered a Reaper drone strike outside Baghdad Airport in 2020. The attack was carried out by Trump’s Reaper drone missile.
Iranians attend a ceremony at Tehran’s Mosallah Mosque to commemorate the Second Death Anniversary of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, commander of Quds force Qasem Soleimani.
Baghdad Airport, Iraq. Monday January 3, 2022. A U.S. official confirmed that two armed drones were downed at Baghdad’s airport Monday.
Soleimani is known to be the second most powerful person in Iran.
After he had arrived in Baghdad on either a flight from Syria or Lebanon at 12.30am, Muhandis met him on the tarmac and introduced himself as deputy commander of pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces.
Muhandis drove in two cars to the plane steps before Soleimani, Mohammed Ridha Jabri and Soleimani, the PMF’s public relations chief, arrived. They were then driven off.
A few moments later, as cars were passing through a car area heading for the access road to the airport’s runway, missiles from an MQ-9 Reaper drone struck the convoy. This unmanned, deadly aircraft is primarily designed for offensive strikes.
Two vehicles fell to pieces, instantly killing Soleimani, Muhandis, and three others.
We were soon retaliated by Iran with missiles being fired at US military bases. Washington stated that although no one was injured, hundreds sustained traumatic brain injuries. Numerous purple heart recipients were awarded.
In the middle of all these tensions, Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger plane on January 8, 2020. All 176 passengers were killed.
The funeral of Soleimani attracted millions. You can see his portrait on the streets, squares, buildings and even on rooftops from Tehran to Gaza.
This year, commemorations were held in Iran, Baghdad, Gaza City, and other locations.
Two drones armed with guns attacked a Baghdad Airport site belonging to the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State.
AFP reports that “Two fixed-wing suicide planes or improvised missile cruisers tried to attack Baghdad Airport today at about 4:30am (0130 GMT)”, a coalition official said.
C-RAM (counter-rocket artillery, mortar) ‘engaged’ them, and they were taken down without incident.
Photos from the Coalition official obtained by AFP show the wreckage of one of these drones with the message commanders’ revenge operations’ printed on them.
On Monday, mourners, which included members of Iraq’s al-Hashed al-Shaabi, took part in a symbolic funeral procession to the grave of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the slain commander of Iraq. Photos of Al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani, Iranian commander, were held aloft
Yemeni Huthis supporters attend a Vigil to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of Qasem Soleimani’s (potrait), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis’s killings in Iraq in an American raid. It was held in Sanaa, Yemeni capital.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Lieutenant General and Commander of the Qudsforce Qassem Soleimani
Website displayed an illustration, rather than displaying the homepage’s main news section. This appeared to remind Qassem Soleimani of being assassinated.
After being attacked at Baghdad’s airport, the drone was shot down.
Reaper drone strikes on Soleimani’s convoy near Baghdad airport.
Soleimani’s (left), who was deeply embedded in Iran’s regime and many assumed would become the next president, saw Iran and America at the edge of war. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, pictured outside of the US Embassy building, was instrumental in the attack on it.
A massive funeral with thousands all dressed in black lined the streets of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman in Iran in January 2020
Hackers attacked Iran’s second sworn enemy nation, Israel with a threat message that looked linked to the Soleimani assassination.
Websites of English-language Jerusalem Post as well as the Twitter account for Hebrew-language Maariv were taken down by a photo of someone firing a shot from a ring with red stones, similar to the one Soleimani used.
The Jerusalem Post claimed that its website was compromised and displayed an image showing Israel’s Dimona nuclear facilities being demolished. Also, the Hebrew text ‘we’re close’.
Israel worries that Iran’s nuke program will lead to the acquisition of weapons for the Jewish State. The two countries often issue threats to strike each other.
A ceremony was held in Gaza’s coastal area to mark the second anniversary.
On Monday, Hassan Nasrallah (leader of Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah) was due to also speak.
Jerusalem Post’s website has been hacked to commemorate Soleimani’s assassination. ‘Pro-Iran hackers’ posted a fake photo of a secret Israeli nuclear facility that was hit by a missile.
On Monday, hackers targeted an Israeli newspaper to commemorate the 2020 anniversary the murder of a well-known Iranian general. The site was replaced with an image which threatened a website associated with Israel’s undeclared nukes program.
The image, posted by the Jerusalem Post, depicts an attack on a weapon that was aimed at Qassem Solimani (the Iranian general who died in a drone strike against Iraq on Monday), although no group claimed immediate responsibility.
Image included an image of an exploding target which was part a recent Iranian military drill that looked like the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center close to Dimona.
Underground laboratories, which have been operating for decades, are already located in the facility. They reprocess spent reactor rods and produce weapons-grade plutonium to support Israel’s nuclear bomb programme.
Israel’s Jerusalem Post newspaper reported on Monday that the website of its site had been compromised in an attack it claimed was against Israel.
The website displayed an illustration instead of the main news page. It seemed to be recalling Qassem Soleimani, top Iranian general who was assassinated.
Israel’s policy of nuclear uncertainty does not confirm nor denial the existence of atomic weapons.
Jerusalem Post tweeted that hackers had been identified and acknowledged their involvement.
English-language paper said that it was aware of an apparent hacking attack on its website. It also warned of a possible threat to Israel. ‘We are working to resolve the issue & thank readers for your patience and understanding.’
No immediate reaction was received by the Israeli government. The hack comes after Israel´s former military intelligence chief in late December publicly acknowledged his country was involved in Soleimani’s killing.
Soleimani was shot to death in an U.S. drone attack in Iraq, on this date in 2020
The remains of demolished vehicles can be seen on January 2, 2019, at Baghdad Airport (Baghdad), Iraq.
Soleimani was a prominent advisor to the Syrian Islamic State Group in Iraq and Syria, fighting for the besieged Assad.
The hack was also not acknowledged by Iran on Monday morning. The country has intensified its memorials to the Revolutionary Guard General who was killed in the hack. His death was to be commemorated by a Monday memorial service.
Soleimani was the leader of the Quds or Jerusalem Force of the Revolutionary Guard and led all of the expeditionary forces. He frequently moved between Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Quds Force members have deployed into Syria´s long war to support President Bashar Assad, as well as into Iraq in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, a longtime foe of Tehran.
Soleimani was a prominent advisor to the Syrian rebel group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
U.S. officials claim the Guard, under Soleimani, taught Iraqi militants to use deadly roadside bombs against U.S. soldiers after the invasion. Iran denies that.
Soleimani is still a popular figure among Iranians who consider him a hero for fighting Iran’s enemies overseas.
Mourners marched during Qassem Soleimani’s funeral. He was killed by an airstrike from the United States in January 2020.
An event is being held in Baghdad International Airport to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of Qasem Solimani’s death as Quds Force Commander of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Qasem Solimani in a photo from Monday’s funeral