PLANET LABS INC./MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE
The Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Aurora Intel shared satellite images showing the impact of the January 8 Iranian missile strike on the US-operated Ayn al-Assad airbase in Iraq.
Satellite photos were taken show that an Iranian missile strike has caused extensive damage at the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq, which hosts U.S. and coalition troops. The photos show hangars and buildings hit hard by a barrage of Iranian missiles that were fired early Wednesday morning local time.
The images made by Planet Labs clearly show at least 6 structures destroyed by the strikes. The images fully denounce speculations by some mainstream media outlets that the strike caused no damage. They also bring into question the Pentagon version of events, which claimed that there were no casualties among US personnel. However, if US troops really evacuated ahead of the strike, this could be very possible.
At least five structures were damaged in the attack on the base in Anbar province, which apparently was precise enough to hit individual buildings.
“Some of the locations struck look like the missiles hit dead center,” says David Schmerler an analyst with the Middlebury Institute.
Iran’s attack targeted at least two military bases in Iraq. The extent of the damage to the second base, in Irbil, was unclear.
Shortly afterward, President Trump said in an optimistic tweet: “All is well!
He added: “Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well-equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”
Later Mr. Trump said no US or Iraqi lives were lost in the attacks, and the bases suffered only minimal damage.
There are no reports of casualties as a result of the strike on Ain al-Assad, which follows a U.S. drone strike in Iraq that killed Iran’s top military commander.
Schmerler says it is unclear whether targets on the base were chosen to avoid loss of life. “The buildings we’re tallying now seem to be used for storing aircraft,” he says. “There are other structures at the airbase that would be exclusively for people so maybe they intended to strike sites with equipment over people “
I am surprised that the US military allows such attacks without a response. From this, Iran could draw some erroneous conclusions