Imam Ali military base

The Imam Ali military base is an Iranian military base located near the eastern Syrian town of Abu Kamal, near the border with Iraq.

Imam Ali Military Base
Near Abu Kamal, Deir ez-Zor Governorate in Syria
Imam Ali Military Base Location in Syria
Coordinates	34°27′13″N 40°56′12″E
Type	Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran base
Site information
Owner	Government of Syria
Controlled by	Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
Condition	Operational
Site history
Built	2019 (2019)
In use	2019–present

History

The base has been constantly undergoing construction since early 2018.^[1] Fox News reported on 4 September 2019 that a "classified Iranian project", the Imam Ali military base, was being constructed near Abu Kamal,^[2] which was confirmed by satellite images. The project was approved by the top leadership in Tehran and is being completed by the Iranian Quds Force.^[3]

On 9 September 2019, reports emerged that "Iranian" or "Iranian-backed militias" had been targeted in airstrikes, which appeared to be similar to a June 2018 airstrike that targeted a Kata'ib Hezbollah base at a similar location. Satellite imagery taken by ImageSat International in late 2019 suggests a tunnel system is being built, which Western intelligence sources believe will hold missiles.^[4]

The site has been struck multiple times by the Israeli Air Force after which the construction of tunnels was noticed to have accelerated,^[1] and would soon be operational, as of November 2019.^[5]

The site was struck again on 25 February 2021^[6] by the United States military in retaliation for multiple rocket attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq ten days earlier,^[7] and became the first known offensive military operation carried out under U.S. president Joe Biden.^[8][9] On 28 June 2021, another airstrike targeted the base, which left at least nine Iran-backed Iraqi militia fighters dead and many others injured, according to SOHR.^[10]

See also

• Iranian involvement in the Syrian civil war

References

1. "Iran is building tunnels in Syria near Iraq border for weapons". The Jerusalem Post. December 10, 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
2. "Airstrikes at Al Bukamal? The alleged Iranian base and the 'explosions'". The Jerusalem Post. September 9, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
3. "Iran building new classified military base in Syria: intelligence sources". Christians United For Israel. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
4. Yingst, Trey (December 10, 2019). "Iran building new tunnel to house missiles: intelligence sources". Fox News. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
5. "Iranian Military Base in Syria Believed to Soon be Operational". Behold Israel. November 19, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
6. Knights, Michael (26 February 2021). "Biden's Warning to Iran and Its Proxies: Implications of the Syria Strike". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
7. Starr, Barbara; Liebermann, Oren (25 February 2021). "US carries out air strikes in Syria targeting Iranian backed militia structures". CNN. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
8. "Joe Biden orders airstrike against Iranian-backed militia in Syria". ABC News. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
9. "U.S. targets Iranian-backed militias in Syria with airstrikes". CBS News. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
10. "Death toll update – Nine militiamen of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces killed in US airstrikes near Syria-Iraq border • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". June 28, 2021.