BREAKING: US Troops Targeted By Rockets In Iraq Less Than A Week After Biden’s Airstrikes
An airbase in Iraq hosting US and Iraqi forces was targeted on Wednesday, with reports saying the facility was struck by “multiple rockets” in what is widely believed to be a response to President Joe Biden’s ordered airstrikes in Syria just last week.
Fox News, citing a military spokesman in Iraq, said “at least 10 rockets” struck the Ain al-Asad base, located in western Anbar province, at 7:20 a.m. with coalition and Iraqi forces currently investigating the latest attack.
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This is the same base that was also targeted in an attack last February — which left more than 100 US troops with brain injuries from the Iran attack.
Initial report: 10 IDF rockets targeted an Iraqi military base, Al Asad Airbase, hosting Coalition troops, on March 03, 2021 at approx 7:20 a.m. (Iraqi time). Iraqi SF are leading the response & investigation. Further information will be released as it becomes available.
— OIR Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto (@OIRSpox) March 3, 2021
“Initial report: 10 IDF rockets targeted an Iraqi military base, Al Asad Airbase, hosting Coalition troops, on March 03, 2021 at approx 7:20 a.m. (Iraqi time). Iraqi SF are leading the response & investigation. Further information will be released as it becomes available,” Col. Wayne Marotto, a US military spokesman wrote on Twitter.
10 Indirect Fire rockets and Iraqi Security Forces are investigating.
— OIR Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto (@OIRSpox) March 3, 2021
“10 Indirect Fire rockets and Iraqi Security Forces are investigating.”
Reuters said separately that “no deaths or injuries were immediately reported” in the wake of the incident.
But in an update, it said that an American civilian contractor died “after suffering a ‘cardiac episode’ while sheltering from rockets fired at a base in Iraq.”
“We cannot attribute responsibility at this time, and we do not have a complete picture of the extent of the damage,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement, adding that “defensive systems at Al Asad air base were used and that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was closely monitoring the situation.”
The rocket attack came less than a week after President Biden ordered airstrikes in Syria killing at least 22 people.
The airstrikes authorized by the Democratic President comes out after a series of recent rocket attacks against the US targets in Iran. It targeted a structure belonging to what is said to be an Iran-backed militia.
The recent attack on US troops also comes just days after Fox News reported that the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve “raised the threat level” for US forces serving in Iraq.
Reports said US military officials “were expecting possible retaliation” after the US air strikes on February 26. The source of Tuesday’s multiple rocket attack was not immediately known.
Meanwhile, the escalation of tension in the Middle East also came as Pope Francis is set to make a historic visit to Iraq later this week — making him the first Catholic pontiff to ever visit the country.
