Israel sent troops to 'Azerbaijan, UAE, Iraq and Somaliland' during Iran war
Israel deployed special forces to Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Somaliland during its war with Iran, according to a CNN report published on Friday.
Citing four sources familiar with the matter, CNN said Mossad agents and elite Israeli military units, including an airborne rescue unit of the Israel Air Force, were sent to southern Azerbaijan, near the Iranian border and around 100km from the city of Tabriz at its closest point.
The personnel reportedly carried out drone operations and intelligence-gathering missions.
One of the operations launched from Azerbaijani territory was said to be the killing of Rahman Moghaddam, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) special intelligence operations division, on 4 March, according to one source cited by CNN.
Drones struck Nakhchivan International Airport and a nearby village in Azerbaijan the following day. Baku blamed Iran for the attack, an allegation Tehran denied.
CNN added that Israel maintained a network of covert sites and operational bases across the region, including in Iraq, the UAE and Somaliland.
According to the report, some of the facilities were established with the knowledge of host authorities, while others may not have been.
The Azerbaijani embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, telling CNN it dismissed "unfounded claims" that Azerbaijani territory had been used for operations against third countries.
Somaliland used as base
CNN further reported that Somaliland, the self-declared republic in northern Somalia that lacks international recognition, hosted covert Israeli positions.
In December, Israel became the first UN member state to recognise Somaliland as an independent country.
There was no immediate response from Somaliland authorities to the report.
The claims follow reports last month by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times that Israel had established two secret facilities in Iraq during the conflict.
Separately, Axios and the Financial Times reported that Israel deployed troops, an Iron Dome battery and other air defence systems to the UAE during the war.
CNN also reported that Israel had prepared a covert operation along the Azerbaijan-Iran border during protests in Iran in January.
According to the sources, the mission was designed to pave the way for future operations by establishing surveillance capabilities in the area.
Special forces and stealth aircraft were later used to install intelligence-gathering equipment in the area, which was reportedly employed to spy on Iranian military movements and facilities.
Israel maintains close strategic ties with both Azerbaijan and the UAE.
Its relationship with Baku spans energy, defence and cybersecurity, while cooperation with Abu Dhabi includes economic, intelligence and security partnerships.
This article was sourced from Middle East Eye.
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