Drone Strike on Israeli Naval Base Marks Latest in Series of Aerial Attacks
A drone launched from Iraq struck an Israeli Navy base in Eilat in the early hours of Monday, causing minor damage but no injuries, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported. Detected as a “suspicious aerial target” from the east, the drone crashed in the Eilat Bay area. The IDF has not provided details on the specific structure hit or on any interception efforts.
Residents of Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city, were jolted awake by alarms signaling the drone’s infiltration, followed by a loud explosion. This incident comes shortly after the IDF intercepted another drone from Syria, which did not manage to penetrate Israeli airspace.
The attack aligns with claims by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iran-backed coalition of paramilitary groups, which took responsibility for striking what it described as a “vital target” in Eilat with “appropriate weapons.” This follows their previous claim of targeting a crucial military site near the northern town of Eilabun.
International media have suggested that Eilabun may host a storage facility for tactical nuclear weaponry, including nuclear artillery shells, nuclear landmines, and various other forms of tactical nuclear arms.
The Iraqi militia has attempted several drone strikes on Israel during the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, most of which were either intercepted or failed to reach their targets. Previous attacks on Eilat have been attributed to other Iran-backed factions, including Yemen’s Houthis and a Syrian group linked to Lebanon’s Hizbullah, marking a continuing pattern of aerial threats against Israel from various fronts.
