Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that British forces based in Iraq shot down two Iranian drones overnight.
The incident occurred at a coalition base in the Iraqi city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan region, where some drones hit the base and injured a number of US troops. According to Healey, there were no British casualties.
Brigadier Guy Foden stated that the base, as well as another in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, were struck multiple times on Wednesday night, and British personnel are currently in Erbil helping to defend that base.
Police and Military Response
Since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, US bases in Iraq have been targeted in retaliation, with the Western base in Erbil being controlled by the US but often housing other forces, including British troops.
Foden said British forces shot down two UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) but a number of UAVs did impact the camp, as Healey noted that from the point when Iran began hitting back indiscriminately at countries across the Middle East, there had been a British team involved in Iraq.
Investigation and International Cooperation
Healey was speaking during a visit to the UK's military headquarters in Northwood, north-west London, where he received a briefing on the latest situation in the Middle East, and the UK's chief of joint operations, Lieutenant General Nick Perry, told Healey that there were definitively signs of a link between Russia and Iran in the way attack drones are being used.
Healey later told reporters that Iranian drone attacks have the hallmark of the way Russia is attacking Ukraine, adding that no one will be surprised to believe that Putin's hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics.
UK Military Operations
Additionally, Foden said the UK flew air combat patrols over Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to a number of sorties over Qatar, with RAF jets also continuing to fly in defence of Cyprus with European allies in the region.
Healey added that the UK had clocked up more than 300 pilot flying hours over the last 13 days, and a British warship, HMS Dragon, was still on the way to the Mediterranean as of midday on Thursday.
