\n 2026-05-11T21:01:31+00:00<\/p>\n
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Shafaq News-
\nBaghdad<\/p>\n
Iraq\u2019s Joint
\nOperations Command (JOC) on Monday reiterated that no unauthorized foreign
\nforces are operating on Iraqi territory, dismissing recent reports and
\npolitical claims about a secret \u201cIsraeli base\u201d in the country\u2019s western desert.<\/p>\n
In a statement,
\nthe command described allegations regarding foreign military sites in the
\ndesert areas of Karbala and Najaf provinces as inaccurate, urging media outlets
\nand politicians not to circulate \u201cunverified information.\u201d<\/p>\n
It referred
\nto a March 5, 2026 security incident east of al-Nukhaib, where Iraqi forces
\nfrom Karbala and Najaf clashed with \u201cunidentified and unauthorized detachments\u201d
\nbacked by aircraft, leaving one Iraqi security member dead, two others wounded,
\nand a military vehicle damaged.<\/p>\n
According to
\nthe JOC, Iraqi forces later intensified operations and maintained a security
\npresence across the area, prompting the groups to withdraw under aerial cover,
\nas regular search missions continue across desert sectors extending to Iraq\u2019s
\ninternational borders.<\/p>\n
The command
\nalso accused some political figures of exploiting the case through statements
\nmade \u201cwithout knowledge of the facts,\u201d warning that such claims damage Iraq\u2019s
\nreputation and undermine its security institutions. It further warned of legal
\naction against anyone spreading \u201cmisleading information or malicious rumors\u201d
\nthat harm Iraq\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n
The Israeli
\nnewspaper Maariv reported on Sunday that Israel had operated a secret military
\nbase in Iraq\u2019s western desert during the 2026 war with Iran, allegedly
\ndeploying commando teams, emergency medical units, and special forces to the
\nremote area. The JOC later announced<\/a> that search operations in the western
\ndesert found no evidence of foreign troops or military equipment.<\/p>\n