Spanish Ministry of Defense declines to comment on military operations in Iraq

MADRID, September 2 — In response to questions posed by 964 via email, the Spanish Ministry of Defense stated that it would not disclose “any details” concerning its participation in current or potential combat operations in Iraq.

This follows confirmation from a high-level source within the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, who asserted that on-the-ground support comes from “brave officers from France and Spain,” while U.S. troops remain exclusively in the air. This comment was made in response to the recent deaths of three French soldiers in separate operations in the country’s center and north.

The Spanish Ministry of Defense, told 964:

Spain, alongside armed forces from other countries, has been participating in Iraq since 2015 with the aim of contributing to strengthening the Iraqi armed forces to defeat ISIS and achieve defined national objectives. All of this effort is part of a multinational joint force within Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR).

At the same time, since October 2018, advisory support has also been provided to the Iraqi government in the area of building a national security structure, as well as developing the military vocational education system, all within a project called the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI).

For security reasons, we do not provide further details on ongoing or potential future operations.