Iran struck Ali al Salem, where Italian military personnel are also deployed. Here are the characteristics of the base

It happened again. The Ali al Salem base in Kuwait, where the Italian military are also based, was hit again on the night of 5 March. 'Again' because this base had already been hit by the Iranians last Saturday, the day on which the US and Israel had decided to launch the operation against Tehran, an operation that Tel Aviv had christened 'Lion's Roar'. It has been reported that fuel supplies were targeted and a large fire broke out as a result. There are no injuries among the Italian personnel, for whom a partial evacuation was ordered a few days ago, with a movement of 239 military personnel towards Saudi Arabia: 82 of the 321 will remain. No major damage was reported to the two Italian F2000 fighters present: 'Only shrapnel projections', assure well-informed sources.

As reported by the Italian Defence magazine in an article, from the analysis of satellite images it is possible to confirm that in the previous strikes the Italian part of the base was hit, with serious damage to the accommodation area, and also the hangars where the Air Force's 4 Eurofighter TYPHOONs are usually deployed (a marquee and two hangars were damaged). In previous strikes, the Kuwaiti part of the base was also targeted, where two buildings and two hangars (where the Kuwait Air Force's Eurofighter Typhoons are usually deployed) were damaged. Further impacts are also visible in other areas of the base, with several hangars damaged. All in all, Rid again explains, there should be around 20 confirmed strikes on Ali al Salem from 28 February to date.

Ali Al Salem Air Base is a military base. It is strategically located in the Al Jahrāʼ district of Kuwait, about 37 miles from the Iraqi border. It plays a key role as a logistical and operational hub for international coalition forces. It has two parallel runways. It is designed to accommodate a wide range of aircraft, including fighter jets (such as the Eurofighter Typhoon), heavy transport aircraft and reconnaissance drones. It has hangars, maintenance workshops, ammunition and fuel depots, and a control tower recently integrated with radar and communication systems compatible with US standards.

The base is home to the Kuwait Air Force, the U.S. Air Force (it is the headquarters of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, which manages logistical support and security operations) and, as far as the Italian Air Force is concerned, the Typhoon Task Group and components of the 51st Istrana Wing, deployed in the 'Prima Parthica' operation.

In Kuwait, 239 Italian soldiers are moving to Saudi Arabia: of the 321, 82 will remain. Also in Qatar, 7 of the 10 soldiers are on their way to Saudi Arabia. In Bahrain, where there are 5 soldiers, personnel are being withdrawn. In Lebanon, the situation is still awaiting developments and further evaluations: should the decision be made for evacuation, an Italian ship is ready to arrive for this type of operation. Before the start of the conflict, there were 2,576 Italian military personnel in the area affected by the crisis in the Middle East.