British troops come under attack as Iranian drones target Western base in Iraq

Brigadier Guy Foden, assistant chief of staff for operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters, said: "Last night they shot down two UAVs coming at the camp. But a number of UAVs did impact on the camp."

He described the strikes as demonstrating "increasing coordination" between the attacks on both locations.

All British soldiers emerged unharmed from the incident, while American forces at the same location sustained minor injuries.

Those stationed at Erbil are actively contributing to the base's defensive operations, according to Brigadier Foden.

He also said that the drones that struck the installation are believed to have been launched from Iranian territory.

The Erbil base serves as a crucial hub for coalition operations, hosting hundreds of troops engaged in training Kurdish security forces to combat Islamic State militants in Iraq.

British forces deployed to the region as part of Operation Shader include personnel from 2 Rifles and the RAF Regiment.

It is the third time Iranian forces and their allies have targeted British military assets since the launch of joint US and Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic last month.

RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus has faced drone attacks from Hezbollah, while a missile strike landed close to UK troops in Iraq.

The danger prompted the Government to send HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean to protect the sovereign Cypriot base and other assets in the region.

More than 400 specialist air defence personnel alongside F-35B stealth fighters and RAF Typhoon aircraft have also been deployed to the Middle East amid the crisis.

It came as Iran's new Supreme Leader, who is said to be in a coma following an airstrike, pledged in a written message that the Islamic regime “will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs”.

The statement, broadcast on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting channel, showed an image of the Supreme Leader against a waving Iranian flag.

It also said that the regime will “seek compensation” from its enemies or “destroy their assets accordingly”.

In the address claimed to be from him directly, a demand was issued for all Western bases in the region to be closed.

Defence Secretary John Healey attributed the growing sophistication of these aerial assaults to Iranian collaboration with Moscow.

He explained that Russian assistance was helping Tehran enhance its drone warfare capabilities.

"No one will be surprised to believe that Putin's hidden hand is behind some of the Iranian tactics and potentially some of their capabilities as well," Mr Healey stated.

Senior military officials have also cautioned that this cooperation between Russia and Iran was rendering the drone attacks increasingly "more problematic" for coalition forces to counter.

Russian technology was also discovered inside the Iranian drone that struck RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, according to British military investigators.

The Shahed kamikaze drone was fitted with a Kometa-B navigation system, a Russian-origin piece of equipment that Ukrainian air defence forces first identified in intercepted drones last December.

Its Kometa-B technology was engineered specifically to shield drones from electronic jamming, providing protection against countermeasures and ensuring accurate target acquisition.

Recovered fragments from the attack have been transported to a laboratory in Britain for detailed examination following the attack, believed to have been launched by Hezbollah militants operating from Lebanon.

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