What began as a routine trip through Iraq’s rugged western desert turned into a mystery involving secret military camps, helicopters and international tensions.
The death of a local shepherd has now exposed claims that Israel had been operating covert military outposts deep inside Iraqi territory for more than a year.
The incident took place on March 3 near the remote town of al-Nukhaib in Iraq’s western desert, according to a report by The New York Times. The 29-year-old shepherd Awad al-Shammari had gone to buy groceries when he reportedly came across a hidden military site containing helicopters, soldiers, tents, and a landing strip. Al-Shammari’s discovery would ultimately reveal how Iraq had played host to two covert bases operated intermittently by Israel, for well over a year.
According to his cousin and Maj. Gen. Fahim al-Gurayti, the spokesperson for the provincial Karbala Operations Command, al-Shammari also alerted the local authorities on the day he discovered the foreign forces. The army and al-Shammari’s relatives lost contact with him shortly after that, according to General al-Gurayti and his family.
It took his family two days to locate the Bedouin locals who had seen him killed and find out what had happened to him. “We were told that a burned-up pickup truck the same as Awad’s was out there, but no one dared to go there. When we got there, we found the car and body burned,” his cousin, Amir al-Shammari, told The New York Times.
According to senior Iraqi and regional officials, the outpost was being used by Israel to support military operations against Baghdad’s regional partner, Iran. Shortly after reportedly informing Iraqi authorities about what he had seen, al-Shammari was allegedly chased and attacked by a helicopter. Witnesses said his pickup truck was later found burned and riddled with bullets.
While reports about one Israeli outpost had surfaced earlier, Iraqi officials later confirmed the existence of a second undisclosed base in Iraq’s western desert region. Security officials stated that the camp al-Shammari exposed was a military facility used for air support, refuelling, and medical assistance during military operations.
According to a regional official, preparations for the makeshift base reportedly began in late 2024, and they were later used during the June 2025 conflict involving Israel and Iran.
Witnesses to Awad al-Shammari’s killing and several officials familiar with the alleged Israeli bases spoke anonymously due to security concerns surrounding the sensitive issue. According to the officials, at least one of the secret military outposts may have been known to the United States since June 2025 or earlier, raising questions over whether Washington withheld information from Iraq about foreign military activity on its territory.
The revelations have triggered criticism from Iraqi lawmakers, with Waad al-Kadu calling it a “blatant disregard” for Iraqi sovereignty and national dignity.
The alleged Israeli base near al-Nukhaib is reportedly no longer operational, while the status of the second outpost remains unclear.
