Iraq: Popular Mobilization Forces base attacked

(Iskandariya) A military base in Iraq housing a pro-Iranian militia has been damaged in an explosion, killing one and wounding eight. At this moment in time nobody knows who targeted the base, but naturally all eyes will be looking at Israel.

 

Aftermath videos of the base which is near the Iraq town of Iskandariya reveals what appears to a be a missile strike 

Footage has been released showing the Scale of the Damage to the Kalsu Base of the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) in the Babylon Governorate of Eastern Iraq, after last night’s Explosions caused by what is claimed to have been several Missile Strikes; it is Difficult to tell if… pic.twitter.com/R2mAITrKuZ

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 20, 2024

NIGER: Tells US to remove its anti-terrorist forces

(Niamey) Niger like many other recent central African countries which have seen a overnight change in government by the bullet and the bomb rather than the ballot box has had no problem turning its back on the West (other than for handouts in the form of aid) and gotten into bed with…Moscow and surprise, surprise, the new government in power has informed the US to remove its forces from the country which comes months after the new government (for life) informed France to remove its forces in the country.

What is most interesting here is the western powers who operated across the Sahel using their advanced weaponry whilst able to keep something of a lid on Islamist terrorism which plagues the region, never got the upperhand. Yet in replacing the West for Russia which is currently occupied inside the Ukraine, they have sided with a country which will be unable to divert resources (military) to combat the rise in terrorism across the Sahel for a good few years and even if it prevails in the Ukraine will still be hard pushed to support its new African besties other than allowing the new military leaders for life to pad out their private bank accounts, I cant see any other reason why these countries have sided with Moscow. 

Russia: Ukraine claims to have shot down a TU-22M, 200 odd miles inside Russia.

(Stavropol) On Friday a video was released showing a Russian TU-22M bomber tumbling out of the sky whilst on fire. strategic bomber has gone down over Stavropol Krai, in the North Caucasus region of Russia.  

Kyiv claims it shot it down, whilst Moscow admitting the loss claims it was due to a technical failure which doesn’t explain why a second TU-22M which was accompanying the one which fell from the sky in flames decided to turn tail and return to base without launching the cruise missiles it was carrying. Yeah, funny that. What is most interesting about this incident , is it took place around 200 miles east of the Kerch bridge well inside Russia well out of the range of the supplied Western Air defence missiles such as Patriot and supports the widely held view that the Ukraine has somehow upgraded its ancient soviet era S200 missiles (range 190 miles+) in which to target and take out modern Russia aircraft in areas (such as the downing of the Russia Beriev A-50 AWAC aircraft) which until of late , Moscow felt its aircraft were safe to operate in.

The TU 22M is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic bomber which entered service with the Soviet Airforce in 1972, that said, the aircraft has been upgraded numerous times over the years and the latest iteration  Tu-22M3M (New engines from Tu-160M2 , 80 percent of avionics replaced or upgraded, including SVP-24-22 bombsights, a phased array NV-45 radar, GLONASS navigation system, modern digital glass cockpit and engine controls, electronic warfare countermeasures, and the ability to use precision air-to-surface weapons.) coming into service in 2018

Iran: So called Israeli counter strike apparently targeted a S300 Missile site in Isfahan

(Isfahan)  So the world woke up on the morning of Friday the 19th April 2024 to reports of Israel bombing Iran. Whilst the western media was acting like Chicken Licken proclaiming the sky was falling in, Iran very calmly was stating the very opposite, that there had been a small drone attack (As in short rage quadcopters) and its air defence system had taken care of it and that life across Iran was getting along as normal.  Anyway, satellite photos have revealed that a S300 missile system based at the north west corner of Isfahan International Airport was taken out:

So the satellite photos reveal evidence of damage to the Iranian S-300PMU2 strategic surface-to-air missile battery in Isfahan since  A probable damaged 30N6E target engagement radar was visible in imagery still on the radar hardstand. Other battery system components however have been withdrawn from the site.

Not sure what the reason was behind such a limited strike (if Israel did indeed carry one out) on a single target, but who fully understands the geopolitical foreplay of the region .

Update

The New York Times is reporting that Israel used a  stealth missile to strike the S300 Missile site in which to send the message to Tehran that they have the capability to hit them without them seeing the attack.

Credit to Chris Biggers for the above story

Israel: Satellite Photos show little damage at IDF airbase struck by Iran

(Nevatim Air base)  So as the entire world and their dog knows, Iran in retaliation for the targeting and killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi in Damascus on the 1^st of April 2024 by the IDF on the evening of 13^th of April launched 300 UAVs, 30 cruise missiles and 170 Ballistic missiles at Israel these were supported by rocket fire from Lebanon by Hezballah in which to occupy and downgrade the ability of Israel's defensive systems  so as to allow the Iranian weaponry to get through and do their stuff. Well that didn’t go exactly as planned for Tehran as Israel (with a little help from friends) managed to knock out the majority of that Iranian incoming ordnance with only 7 Ballistic missiles getting through and impacting at the major IDF Nevatim airbase in the south of the country. 

 

 Interestingly the very airbase where the aircraft which carried out the attack on the Iranian consulate which started this whole affair took off from. Israel claimed that little damage had been caused and the base remained operational , however that claim could not be verified until Satellite photos became available and available they have and as the IDF stated, very little damage was caused with just one missile impact site on a taxiway, which has been repaired.

The actual impact point and damage can be found just below the lower runway around 2/3rd from the left and in-between the small apron and said runway on the taxis way in-between as can be identified by the small patch of new tarmac 

For the amount of ordinance launched by Iran and her proxies , Israel was very lucky, don't get me wrong, its defensive systems did exactly as they were meant to do, but 170 Ballistic missiles in anybody's book is a huge amount to defend from and whos to say next time Tehran learning from this, wont launch 340 missiles.

Interlude: Bucks Fizz - My Camera Never Lies