Exclusion zone in Ain Al-Asad Base

Shafaq News / The Iraqi army forces announced new security measures near "Ain Al-Asad" base, Al-Anbar Governorate in which no one but the army can enter it. An Iraqi security official revealed, on Thursday.

These measures concurs in conjunction with Iraqi military operations backed by the US-coalition to handle the remnants of ISIS, in Al-Anbar desert.

A security official in Al-Baghdadi town told Shafaq News agency, "Iraqi army imposed an exclusion zone around the base from the east and south sides to protect it from any possible missile or drone attacks."

The source denied reports saying US military convoys had arrived at Ain Al-Asad, and the American presence is only in the air with helicopters.'

He also denied information about the withdrawal of the Popular Forces Mobilization from Al-Baghdadi saying it control security along with the rest of the security forces.

Early in 2020, Iran launched missile attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq early including the al-Asad air base, in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing raised fears of a wider Middle East conflict.

In 2015, 25 ISIS fighters attacked the air base, but the Pentagon said here at the time that Iraqi security forces guarding the perimeter killed most of the combatants.

Rockets also landed on the air base.