Israel holds ‘security drill’ at airport

Israel has reportedly conducted security maneuvers in a coastal airport amid fresh reports about Tel Aviv’s plan for launching a new war.

The exercises were conducted in Dov Airport, which was closed for about five hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (0800-1300 GMT) local time on Tuesday.

The Israeli citizens were asked to stay away from the airport and were cautioned that explosions would be heard during the drills.

Dov Airport is Tel Aviv’s largest airport and the second largest in the area after Ben Gurion International Airport.

The maneuvers come one day after a source close to prominent Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s group said Israeli jet fighters had conducted drills at a military base in Iraq in order to strike targets inside Iran, the English-language Press TV reported.

According to the report, a considerable number of Israeli warplanes, including F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22, and KC-10 jet fighters, were seen at al-Asad base in Iraq.

A spokeswoman for Israel’s army said on Monday that the military did not comment on operational matters, Reuters reported. Israeli leaders have not ruled out military action against Iran, the news agency added.

Based on the report, Iraqi officials had not been notified of the exercises, which were conducted in collaboration with the US military.

Pentagon’s Spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan also said there was no truth to the report.