Iraqi Drone Strike on Israeli Forces Causes 26 Casualties – Two Killed

<p >An drone strike on an Israeli military facility launched from Iraq has caused 26 military casualties including two deaths. The Israel Defence Forces reported that one of two drones launched was shot down, while the other reached its target early on October 3 as air defences failed to detect it. The targets were located in part of the Golan Heights internationally recognised as Syrian, which has been under Israeli military control for almost six decades. Militia groups in Iraq have launched attacks on Israel in the past, including a claimed drone strike on Haifa Port in early September. Iraqi militias have also reportedly redeployed some of their forces to Syria to provide greater support for the ongoing war effort. </p><p >Israeli air defences have come under growing pressure in the face of missile, rocket and drone attacks from Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Ansurullah Coalition in Yemen, and to a lesser extent <a href=" target="_blank">Palestinian militias </a>in the Gaza Strip. Neighbouring Syria also retains a significant ballistic missile arsenal which Israeli attacks have raised the possibility could be used. Hezbollah in particular has <a href=" target="_blank">focused its attacks</a> over the past year on destroying Israeli air defence assets to serve as a force multiplier for strikes, with attacks <a href=" target="_blank">singling out </a>Iron Dome short range systems and <a href=" target="_blank">more recently</a> longer range David’s Sling systems. While Israel has previously retaliated to attacks on its territory with bombing raids on the perpetrators, as seen by its two strikes on Yemen in <a href=" target="_blank">July</a> and <a href=" target="_blank">September</a>, the current <a href=" target="_blank">state of the Israeli fighter fleet</a> is in question following Iranian and Hezbollah <a href=" target="_blank">strikes</a> on multiple air bases hosting F-35, F-15 and F-16 fighters. </p><p ></p>