Drone Attack Targets Iraq Base Hosting US Troops

US army forces supervise during a training session at the Taji camp, north of Baghdad . AFP file photo
US army forces supervise during a training session at the Taji camp, north of Baghdad . AFP file photo
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Drone Attack Targets Iraq Base Hosting US Troops

US army forces supervise during a training session at the Taji camp, north of Baghdad . AFP file photo
US army forces supervise during a training session at the Taji camp, north of Baghdad . AFP file photo

A drone attack has been carried out on a military base in Iraqi Kurdistan that hosts American troops, without causing any casualties, the US-led coalition said Saturday.

The attack comes with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhemi expected to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on Monday to discuss a possible full US troop withdrawal from his country.

“An unmanned aerial system impacted a coalition base in Kurdistan” in the early hours of Friday, coalition spokesman US Colonel Wayne Marotto said in a statement reported by AFP.

“There were no casualties and no damage as a result of the attack,” he said, adding “the United States and coalition forces will stay vigilant and maintain the inherent right to self-defense.”

Iraqi Kurdish media outlets said the attack targeted a base at Al-Harir, 70 kilometres (45 miles) northeast of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region.

It was the latest in a spate of attacks on US military and diplomatic facilities in Iraq, blamed on pro-Iranian armed groups within a state-sponsored paramilitary force.

The United States still has around 2,500 troops deployed in Iraq, out of 3,500 men in the international coalition set up in 2014 to fight ISIS.

Their departure is demanded by the pro-Iranian factions, which have been blamed for some 50 attacks against US interests in Iraq since the beginning of the year.

The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee on Friday threatened to continue the attacks unless the US withdraws all its forces and ends the “occupation.”

Most of the US troops deployed in the coalition, which helped defeat ISIS in Iraq in 2017, were withdrawn under former US president Donald Trump.

Those that remain are officially classed as advisers and trainers for Iraq’s army and counter-terrorism units.



Fifty-four Children Swim from Morocco to Spanish Enclave Ceuta

A view shows migrants reaching a police boat, while other group of migrants swim in the background, as at least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, in Ceuta, Spain July 25, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a video. Reuters
A view shows migrants reaching a police boat, while other group of migrants swim in the background, as at least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, in Ceuta, Spain July 25, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a video. Reuters
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Fifty-four Children Swim from Morocco to Spanish Enclave Ceuta

A view shows migrants reaching a police boat, while other group of migrants swim in the background, as at least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, in Ceuta, Spain July 25, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a video. Reuters
A view shows migrants reaching a police boat, while other group of migrants swim in the background, as at least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta, in Ceuta, Spain July 25, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a video. Reuters

At least 54 children and about 30 adults swam from Morocco to Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in rough seas and fog, Spanish television reported on Saturday. Video footage on Spanish television channel RTVE showed Civil Guard launches making repeated rescue attempts to bring some of the swimmers to safety, while others swam across to the enclave.

The children, who were mostly Moroccan, were taken to temporary centres in Ceuta, where authorities called for help from the central government in dealing with the latest arrivals, Reuters reported.

"Don't leave us alone. This is a matter of state. This has to be resolved," Juan Rivas of the Ceuta regional government told reporters on Saturday.

On August 26 last year, hundreds of migrants took advantage of a thick mist to swim to Ceuta from neighboring Morocco, local police said. In 2021, one boy was seen floating on empty plastic bottles in his attempt to reach Ceuta.

Spain's two enclaves on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the European Union's only land borders with Africa. The enclaves sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe.

Moroccan nationals detained during the crossings are immediately sent back to Morocco unless they are underage or seeking asylum.

People from other nationalities are taken to special centers where they are given shelter and released after a few days.

Three years ago, at least 23 people died in a stampede when about 2,000 migrants tried to storm into Melilla, pushing down the border fence.