Drones spark alarm over southern Iraq military sites

Shafaq News – Dhi Qar

An unidentified surveillance drone was spotted flying above key security and military facilities in Iraq’s Dhi Qar province for several consecutive nights, a senior security source told Shafaq News on Friday.

The source explained that the drones were visible to the naked eye over Imam Ali Air Base and Nasiriyah Central Prison (al-Hoot).

The aircraft also filmed the prison and other sites including filming one of Iraq’s most secure prisons, which holds dozens of convicted terrorists and high-risk criminals, prompting fears that the facility—or nearby military institutions—could be targeted in a future attack intended to destabilize the southern provinces.

The source also pointed to a recent drone strike on the Imam Ali Air Base’s US-operated radar system, saying the surprise attack had left the region vulnerable.

Despite security units detecting the repeated aerial surveillance, no countermeasures have yet been taken, he said, calling on the federal government to intervene urgently and halt violations of Iraqi airspace.