ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) on Monday denied the presence of “unauthorized bases and forces” on the country’s territory, accusing “some parties” of attempting to capitalize “politically” on the circulation of outdated images related to a one-time incident in March, during which Iraqi forces engaged “unidentified” detachments in a southern desert area that left one Iraqi soldier killed.
“We are closely monitoring with great attention the statements and news circulating regarding the presence of unauthorized bases and forces on Iraqi territory, specifically in the Karbala desert east of Nukhayb and Najaf,” the Security Media Cell (SMC), the media arm of the JOC, said in a late Monday statement.
The Cell added that the “matter relates to an incident that took place on March 5, 2026, when an Iraqi security force from the Karbala Operations Command, as well as from Najaf, engaged unidentified, unauthorized detachments supported by aircraft,” which “resulted in the martyrdom of one Iraqi security fighter, the injury of two others, and damage to a vehicle.”
“Reports on the above duties, approved by all security commanders, confirm that there have been no bases or unauthorized forces throughout the past period from the aforementioned date until today,” the SMC affirmed.
The remarks come against the backdrop of a Saturday report by The Wall Street Journal, which stated that “Israel set up a clandestine military outpost in the Iraqi desert to support its air campaign against Iran and launched airstrikes against Iraqi troops who almost discovered it early in the war, people familiar with the matter including U.S. officials said.”
According to the newspaper, the installation “housed special forces and served as a logistical hub for the Israeli air force, just before the war started with the knowledge of the U.S.”
Importantly, the SMC, which alongside the JOC reports to the Iraqi prime minister in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, further accused “some parties” of attempting to “exploit this incident politically” and making “exaggerated statements without knowledge of the facts.”
“All such statements harm Iraq’s reputation and its security leadership, which confirms - and firmly asserts - that there are currently no unauthorized forces or bases on Iraqi territory,” the SMC said, warning that “legal measures will be taken against anyone attempting to spread misleading information or malicious rumors that send negative messages about Iraq’s sovereignty, prestige, and the sacrifices of its security institutions.”
Hours earlier, former Iraqi prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (2020 - 2022) warned that Iraq would face a “grave breach” of its sovereignty if reports about the establishment of a secret Israeli military base in the southern Iraqi desert prove true, calling for transparency and accountability from the authorities.
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