US establishes two new military bases in Iraq
The US military has established two new military bases in deserted areas of Anbar province, western Iraq.
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US artillery in Iraq. Photo:Reuters. |
"The US has built another military base in the Rumana area of al-Qaim district, bordering Syria, and another base east of al-Rutbah city, about 310 km west of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, and less than 100 km from the Syrian border," the news agency said.AnadoluTürkiye's news agency on December 25 quoted a statement by Anbar Provincial Interim Councilor Farhan al-Duleimi.
Iraqi officials said the two bases were set up by the US to support Baghdad forces in ensuring border security and preventing infiltration by self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants.
Washington has deployed troops, drones and other military equipment to two new bases.
The Pentagon's move comes less than a week after US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw all 2,000 US troops from Syria because IS had been defeated. Trump discussed with his advisers in late March about withdrawing troops and transferring forces in Syria to other countries with a larger role in ensuring regional security, including Iraq.
The US and Iraqi governments have not commented on al-Duleimi's statement. If confirmed, the US military now has a total of four military bases in the border province of Anbar.
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Location of Anbar province, Iraq. Graphics:BBC. |
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