A shepherd stumbles upon a military mystery in the Iraqi desert… Has Israel built a new base?
What began as a routine trip to buy household supplies ended with the exposure of a complex military mystery linked to the presence of a “new secret Israeli base” in the Iraqi desert.
This is according to US media reports, particularly The New York Times, despite denials from the Iraqi government and no official comment from Israel.
The shepherd and the military mystery
According to The New York Times the story began at around 2 p.m. on March 3, when a small truck was travelling through the western Iraqi desert.
The American newspaper describes the passage of the vehicle, belonging to a local shepherd heading to the nearest town of Akh-Nukhayb, as a familiar sight for residents of a Bedouin camp in the area.
What was unusual, according to the same source, was the truck’s return a few hours later, riddled with bullets and engulfed in flames.
Three camp witnesses told the newspaper that a helicopter was chasing the truck and repeatedly firing at it until it suddenly came to a stop in the sand.
The previously unreported attack occurred after 29-year-old Owaid Al-Shammari left on a shopping trip, according to his cousin Amir Al-Shammari, as told to The New York Times.
“Instead of returning home safely, the shepherd accidentally came across a highly secure Israeli military secret hidden in the Iraqi desert. His family believes it cost him his life.”
The incident later revealed, according to the newspaper, the existence of two secret bases intermittently operated by Israel inside Iraqi territory for over a year, a claim denied by Baghdad.
Between the start of his fatal journey and its tragic end, Al-Shammari reportedly contacted the Iraqi regional military command to report what he had seen: soldiers, helicopters, and tents gathered around an airstrip.
According to senior Iraqi and regional officials cited by the newspaper, Israel was operating a base there to support its military operations against Iran.
The second base
The Wall Street Journal had previously reported on the existence of an Israeli military site in Iraq.
However, Iraqi officials told The New York Times that there is a second undisclosed base in western Iraq’s desert.
Regional security officials said the base discovered by Al-Shammari was established before the current war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, and was used during the Twelve-Day War against Tehran in June 2025.
One regional official said Israeli forces began preparing this temporary base in late 2024, as part of efforts to establish remote operational sites for future conflicts.
The newspaper noted that the Israeli military has repeatedly refused to comment on the camps or on Al-Shammari’s death.
During his journey, Al-Shammari is believed to have contacted the local Iraqi military command to report soldiers, helicopters, and tents near a landing strip.
Did Washington know about the two bases?
Information exchanged suggests that at least one of the bases — the one discovered by chance by Al-Shammari — was known to Washington as early as June 2025, or possibly earlier, according to the newspaper.
This likely means that the United States, Baghdad’s main ally, may have concealed the presence of hostile forces on Iraqi territory, according to The New York Times.
Regional officials told the paper that the US role in Iraqi security was part of Israel’s calculations that enabled it to operate secretly in Iraq.
During both last year’s brief war and the current conflict, two Iraqi security officials said Washington forced Iraq to shut down its radars to protect American aircraft, making Baghdad more dependent on US forces to detect hostile activity.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell previously stated that there are “no unauthorized bases or forces,” warning against politicising the incident or spreading inaccurate information.
Iraq does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.
