Drone strikes air base hosting Italian, US forces in Kuwait

ISTANBUL

Italy's military said Sunday that Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, which hosts Italian and US forces, was targeted in a drone attack, adding that all Italian personnel were safe.

Italian Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Luciano Portolano said in a statement on US social media company X that the attack on the base occurred on Sunday morning and destroyed an Italian drone inside a shelter on the base.

All personnel were safe and not involved, he said, adding that the Task Force Air's Italian assets had been reduced in recent days as a precaution due to the situation in the region, while the remaining personnel continued to perform essential tasks.

“The struck aircraft constituted an indispensable asset for conducting operational activities and had remained deployed at the base to ensure the continuity of operations,” Portolano noted.

The attacks come as regional tensions have flared since Israel and the US launched attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries, which it says are targeting “US military assets.”