‘We Are Sitting Ducks’: US Contractors In Iraq Fear Imminent Attack By Iran-Backed Militias

Last Updated:March 18, 2026, 22:24 IST

Hundreds of US contractors are stranded at Ali Flaih Air Base near Baghdad, feeling vulnerable due to local militant threats and lack of safety measures.

As the Iran war continues to escalate, hundreds of US contractors remain stranded on a key military base near Baghdad, Iraq, while local Iran-backed militants are possibly making plans to attack the base.

According to The Guardian, the contractors were employed by Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base, formerly Balad Air Base, to support the Iraqi government’s F-16 fighter jet programme.

“With more than 200 American nationals on the base, the site is considered a high-value target, and the absence of visible preventative measures leaves us feeling exposed and vulnerable," said one employee of defense contractor V2X on the base, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “All of us are pretty much sitting ducks at the moment."

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The Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base has been targeted several times since Israel and the United States launched its attacks on Iran last month.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi workers on the base have reportedly warned their foreign colleagues about Islamic Resistance militants, linked to Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), planning to attack the base once Ramzan ends.

The Guardian quoted sources saying that some Iraqi military and contract employees on the base have links to the militants and have been passing information to them in preparation for an attack.

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They said that the local militants have been gathering information on the populations working on the Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih Air Base.

“They are asking questions about how many foreigners and Americans are on base," the first V2X employee source said.

According to The Guardian, the contractor employees are stranded on the base, since the roads outside it are too dangerous to travel on and airspace is closed due to aerial bombardment from drones and missiles.

“People are seeing the UAVs. We hear this shooting every day, sometimes multiple times, and they have the nerve to say there’s not UAV activity in the vicinity of the base," said the second V2X worker source. “I believe the danger is higher than they’re saying and they’re minimizing it to the United States Government."

The Guardian quoted the workers saying that V2X is not providing them with timely information on safety protocols. V2X had secured a $118m contract from the US air force to support the Iraq F-16 programme last June. The two sources were quoted saying that the Iraqi government had made a threat to V2X that if its personnel are evacuated, it could lose the contract.

“We are not safe. The war is not ending, and the company refused to evacuate us," said the second V2X source. “They are very poorly equipped. Our lives are in great danger."

News world ‘We Are Sitting Ducks’: US Contractors In Iraq Fear Imminent Attack By Iran-Backed Militias

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