A suspected rocket attack against a military base in Iraq left “several” U.S. personnel injured on Monday, two U.S. defense officials confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The attack hit the Al Asad airbase in Iraq — a military base hosting U.S. and coalition troops — and a post-incident assessment is now being carried out to determine the extent of the damage, one defense official told the DCNF, noting that further information would be made available as it was gathered. U.S. forces across the Middle East have come under fire in recent months from various terrorist organizations scattered throughout the region. (RELATED: Pentagon Struggling To Determine Which Troop Families Should Fall Under Gold Star Status)
It wasn’t immediately clear how many personnel were injured or whether casualties were involved. It also wasn’t immediately clear who was responsible for the attack.
“We can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against U.S. and Coalition forces at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq. Initial indications are that several U.S. personnel were injured,” a Pentagon spokesperson told the DCNF. “Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.”
A picture taken on January 13, 2020, during a press tour organized by the US-led coalition fighting the remnants of the Islamic State group, shows a member the US forces walking past a drone in the Ain al-Asad airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. (Photo by AYMAN HENNA/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. staged a strike in Iraq last week against targets that officials believed were preparing for a drone attack and posed an imminent threat to personnel, according to Reuters. Attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and the broader Middle East region have been frequent since Oct. 7, the day Hamas invaded Israel and sparked a regional war.
Three U.S. troops were previously killed in a drone attack against a coalition military base in Jordan in January, the only recorded incident of personnel deaths in the Middle East since Oct. 7.
The attack against the Al Asad base comes as Iran and Hezbollah are expected to launch retaliatory strikes against Israel in the coming days. Israel launched airstrikes against high-level Hezbollah and Hamas targets in Lebanon and Iran last week, prompting vows of revenge from the terrorist groups.
The U.S. has recently made posture changes to its military forces in the Middle East region in preparation for a possible attack.
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