This Image Depicts an Old Israeli Airstrike on Gaza, Not a Recent Attack Targeting Iraq

21st April 2024

This Image Depicts an Old Israeli Airstrike on Gaza, Not a Recent Attack Targeting Iraq

The image depicts an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, not on Iraq (X)

The Claim

Air-to-surface guided missiles targeting military sites in northern Babylon Governorate and the Jurf Al-Sakhar area, a Hezbollah stronghold in Iraq.

News posted on

Samira Sulamian

Raymond Hakim

de_wev

Emerging story

Recently, social media users have been circulating an image claiming to depict air-to-surface guided missiles targeting military sites in northern Babylon Governorate and the Jurf Al-Sakhar area, a Hezbollah stronghold in Iraq.

Air-to-surface guided missiles targeting military sites in northern Babylon Governorate and the Jurf Al-Sakhar area, a Hezbollah stronghold in Iraq.

Misbar’s Analysis

Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The image in question is old and unrelated to the targeting of military sites in northern Babylon Governorate in Iraq using air-to-surface guided missiles.

Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza in 2009

The image dates back to January 3, 2009, capturing smoke rising following an Israeli airstrike on Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, near the border with Egypt.

Reports of an Explosion in Babylon Governorate, Iraq

The circulation of the claim followed media reports on Friday, April 19, mentioning the hearing of an explosion sound of unknown origin in the Imam District of Babylon Governorate in southern Iraq. No further details were provided regarding the explosion.

Explosions in Isfahan, Iran

Iranian media outlets reported explosions near Isfahan city, located south of Tehran. Concurrently, U.S. sources mentioned that these explosions coincided with an Israeli attack on Iran.

The New York Times cited Iranian officials stating that the attack had struck a military air base near the city of Isfahan in central Iran.

Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari, the Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Force, affirmed that small drones had breached Isfahan's airspace. He further explained, "We successfully countered very small drones that intruded into our airspace in Isfahan, and our air defenses thwarted them."

Iranian sources reported that air defense systems were activated across multiple provinces in the country. Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official who stated that there was no immediate retaliation plan and that the identity of the attackers remained unclear. Israel has not commented on the matter.