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The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iranian-backed armed factions, has launched more attacks against military sites and infrastructure in Israel.
Late on May 15, the IRI announced in a statement that it had launched Arqab cruise missiles at “vital targets” in Jericho valley and Nevatim Air Base. In two other statement released early on May 16, the group said it targeted a vital target in the port city of Eilat and an oil refinery in Haifa city with suicide drones.
Videos released by the group showed the launch of two Arqab missiles at Jericho and Nevatim as well as the launch of a single suicide drone at Haifa refinary.
Arqab is reportedly a copy of the Iranian-made Paveh cruise missile, which is powered by a turbo-jet engine and has a range of 1,650 kilometers. Meanwhile, the drone used in the attack on Haifa appears to be of an Iranian-made type known as Shahed-101.
Hebrew media didn’t report any warnings or interceptions in Israel due to attacks from Iraq. However, this does not mean that the attacks failed as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has the power to censor all news related to security incidents in the country.
Earlier in the week, Israeli fighter jets and air defenses intercepted three drones that came from the direction of Iraq. Video footage of the interceptions were released by the IDF on March 15.
The IRI first emerged after the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. The group began launching attacks against Israel as well as against United States forces in Iraq and neighboring Syria after the October 17 al-Ahli Arab Hospital massacre, around ten days into the war.
The group suspended attacks against U.S. forces last February after the death of three American troops in a drone strike on a base in Jordan, reportedly upon a request from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Nevertheless, it escalated attacks against Israel starting from March.
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