Iraqi Resistance attacks a vital Israeli site in Eilat
4 Min Read
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq releases footage of the launching of two suicide drones toward Umm al-Rashrash.
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A screengrab from footage posted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq shows a suicide drone, resembling the Iranian Shahed-131 drone, fly toward its target in Eilat, occupied Umm al-Rashrash, in Israeli-occupied '48 territories, on May 20, 2024. (Islamic Resistance in Iraq/Military Media)
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced that its fighters targeted a vital site in Eilat in southern Isralei-occupied Palestinian territories early on Thursday morning.
Islamic Resistance fighters launched a number of suicide drones toward the site located in the usurped Palestinian port town of Umm al-Rashrash. The statement reaffirmed the Iraqi Resistance's support for the Palestinian people and their Resistance, promising further operations against enemy sites.
Earlier on Wednesday night, the Resistance's Military Media Unit had released footage that detailed the launching of two suicide drones toward Umm al-Rashrash [Eilat] on May 20, 2024.
#شاهد | المقاومة الإسلامية في #العراق تنشر مشاهد عن إطلاقها طائرتان مسيرتان باتجاه أهداف في "إيلات" (أم الرشراش) في الأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة، بتاريخ 20-5-2024.#بغداد #فلسطين_المحتلة #الميادين pic.twitter.com/rHJRZtlhZd
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 22, 2024
What drones is the Iraqi Resistance utilizing?
The drones resemble the Iranian Shahed-131 drone, which could be easily distinguished from the more popular Shahed-136 drone by observing the vertical stabilizers at the ends of the wings. On the Shahed-131 drone, the stabilizers only extend upwards, while those on the Shahed-136 extend upwards and downwards.
The 131 version is also smaller in size, however, it maintains similar qualities to the larger 136 version, such as a low radar cross-section and a lethal warhead.
It has been reported that this version of the Shahed line of drones has a range of 900 km, making it ideal for medium-range attacks launched on Israeli occupation sites from Iraq. Moreover, these drones are relatively low in cost, with Western estimates citing a range of around $20,000 for a single munition.
The Iraqi Resistance has also deployed its own modified and improved cruise missile, dubbed al-Arqab, as well as a varying selection of suicide drones.
This includes a version of the Shahed-101 drone, which was used to conduct Thursday's attack. The drone was also used by Hezbollah's Unammaned Air Force, in an attack on the strategic Israeli Tal Shamayim site on May 15.
مشاهد من إطلاق المقاومة الإسلامية في #العراق طيران مسير تجاه هدف حيوي في إيلات في #فلسطين_المحتلة pic.twitter.com/dzt8phaGjh
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 16, 2024
The Islamic Resistance also utilized their own al-Arfad-type drone, resembling the Yemeni Armed Forces Samad line of drones more commonly known as Shahed-X. The use of similar UAVs by various entities of the Axis of Resistance indicated high-level coordination between various Resistance factions and extensive knowledge sharing on the production and operational use of these weapons.
⏯ Video |🇮🇶 #IslamicResistance in #Iraq published a video on 14th May 2024, showing scenes of its operation dated 13/05/2024, launching an “Al-Arfad” drone towards a #ZOF 🏴☠ terror target in Umm al-Rashrash, (so-called “Eilat”) in occupied 🇵🇸 #Palestine.
— Arman Ali Verdi (@Armanali225) May 15, 2024
🇵🇸#FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/shbs9Ljf1Q
Axis of Resistance's cheap drones plague 'Israel'
In detail, the various types of drones have proven extremely challenging for Israeli air defense systems to deal with. Due to the fact that they fly at low altitudes and their low radar cross-section, such weapons have proven to be a threat to vital Israeli sites. Hezbollah's deployment of the Ababil-T drone and Shahed-101 drones have probably been the most difficult for Israelis to shoot down. These systems have, on multiple occasions, struck their targets, which include, groupings of Israeli troops, Iron Dome launchers, and the sophisticated Sky Dew, High Availability Aerostat System (HAAS).
As the Israeli war on Gaza rages on, the selective top-tier operations of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon have severely weakened the Israeli early detection systems, radars, and anti-air launch capabilities. This in turn opens a larger space for longer-range attacks to be launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has managed to find several blindspots in the Israeli defensive strategy on multiple occasions. This includes a drone attack on March 31, which impacted the Israeli Naval Base in Eilat. The Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people may prove detrimental to its military's strategic systems and sites, as escalation continues to be met with key strikes.
In the meantime, the heavily conventional Israeli occupation forces have yet to devise a suitable solution to address the expanding gaps in aerial coverage. Meanwhile, the Resistance continues to exploit these vulnerabilities with its cost-effective drones.
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