Stranded US Contractors in Iraq Face Imminent Attack Fears
Over 200 American contractors trapped at Balad air base in Iraq with no evacuation plan as militant threats loom post-Ramadan.
Hundreds of US contractors are currently stranded on a major military base near Baghdad, Iraq, with no evacuation plan in place, while local Iran-backed militants are possibly making plans to attack the base, according to three sources.
The contractors are employed at the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base, formerly known as Balad Air Base, to support the Iraqi government's F-16 fighter jet program. With fears of a post-Ramadan assault growing, the contractors say they are sitting ducks, with no clear plan for their safe extraction.
The situation has become increasingly dire, as the contractors are left to navigate the complex and volatile security landscape of Iraq without the backing of a comprehensive evacuation strategy. Militants known to be affiliated with Iran are suspected to be actively planning an attack on the base, further heightening the sense of vulnerability among the stranded American personnel.
Source: The Guardian
