Drones Target Multiple Countries in Region Amid Ongoing Conflict

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has carried out a series of drone strikes against US facilities in the Middle East. According to the IRGC, 230 drones were fired at several locations hosting US troops, including a base in Erbil, Iraq, and the Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.

The attacks are reported to be among the IRGC’s “first powerful steps” in the conflict. The strikes come after days of Iranian attacks on Gulf Arab states since Israel and the United States launched their coordinated offensive on Saturday.

In Kuwait, an 11-year-old girl was killed after being hit by falling shrapnel from a drone strike. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, according to the Ministry of Health.

In Iraq, a drone targeted a logistical support facility of the US embassy in Baghdad, near the Baghdad international airport. A similar foiled drone attack occurred on Tuesday near the airport.

Drone strikes also hit a US military base and a hotel in Erbil, in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. In addition, a building in Sulaimaniyah was hit by a drone strike on Tuesday evening.

Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry reported intercepting and destroying a drone in its Eastern Province. A projectile later struck Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery, causing damage.

The US embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US consulate in the UAE came under drone attacks on Tuesday. The US State Department authorized nonemergency government personnel to evacuate due to the threats.

Iran began targeting US military assets in Gulf states after initial US-Israeli strikes on February 28, following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Despite a decrease in the volume and frequency of attacks, experts warn that even low-level drone strikes can cause disruptions and pose a problem for GCC countries caught up in the conflict.

Source: Al Jazeera