Rockets hit Ain al-Assad military base housing US forces in western Iraq; no casualties reported

FILE PHOTO: Military vehicles of U.S. soldiers are seen at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq January 13, 2020. REUTERS/John Davison

An airbase in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, where American military forces and trainers are stationed, has reportedly come under attack by a barrage of rockets.

An Iraqi security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that three Katyusha rockets targeted the vicinity of Ain al-Asad Air Base, located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of the capital Baghdad, on Monday afternoon.

He added that there were no casualties as a result of the rocket attack on the military base.

“At approximately 2:45 PM local time (1145 GMT), Ain al-Assad Air Base was attacked by three rockets. The rockets landed on the base perimeter. There are no injuries and damage is being assessed,” Colonel Wayne Marotto, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, wrote in a post published on his official Twitter page on Monday.

Meanwhile, Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel reported that eight 107mm rockets had targeted Ain al-Asad Air Base, and four of the projectiles had landed inside the military installation.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, which is the latest in a series of assaults that have targeted US occupation forces over the past few months.

Iraqi lawmakers approved a bill that requires the government to end the presence of all foreign military forces led by the US in the country.

The US Department of State said on June 10 it was offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on attacks against American forces in Iraq.

On April 8, Iraq and the US said they had agreed on the eventual withdrawal of US “combat” troops from Iraq, and that the two sides would hold talks to work out the timing.

The mission of US forces is now allegedly focused on “training” Iraqi troops to fight Daesh, but American troops target popular anti-terror fighters from time to time.

Iraqi resistance groups have warned that they will treat the American troops as occupying forces and take up arms against them if they refuse to leave their country.

Check Also

Iraqi PM addresses negligence and promises care for Al-Hamdaniyah incident victims

The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani has made a statement regarding the tragic Al-Hamdaniyah …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *