A drone struck the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait hosting Italian and U.S. forces, destroying an aircraft shelter but causing no injuries, Italy’s military said Sunday.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sought to play down the attack, the second on an Italian base in the Middle East this week, saying he did not believe his country was being targeted.
Iran has been targeting countries housing U.S. bases in the region in retaliation against U.S.-Israeli strikes on its own territory that started on Feb. 28.
"This morning, Ali Al Salem base in Kuwait, which hosts American and Italian personnel and capabilities, was the target of a drone attack," the chief of Italy's defense general staff, General Luciano Portolano, said in a statement posted by the military on X.
It "hit a shelter housing a remotely piloted aircraft of the Italian Task Force Air (TFA), which was destroyed".
"At the time of the attack, all personnel were safe and uninjured."
An Italian military base in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, also came under drone attack late Wednesday, although again there were no injuries.
"We are not at war with anyone," Tajani told RAI public television on Sunday.
"Often the attacks come against Western bases" including those of the U.S., he said, adding: "I believe that the Italians are not the target."
Rome said it was temporarily withdrawing its personnel, numbering less than 300, from Erbil following the attack on that base, where Italians had been training local security forces as part of an international force.
Sunday's statement posted by the Armed Forces General Staff said the number of personnel at the Kuwait base had been reduced in recent days in response to the "evolving security situation in the area".
"The personnel remaining at the base are being deployed to carry out essential mission activities," it said.
"The affected aircraft was an essential asset for operational activities and remained deployed at the base to ensure the continuity of operations."
