The latest in a series of rocket attacks in Iraq, ten rockets were fired at an Iraqi military base hosting US-led coalition troops on Wednesday, the latest in a series of rocket attacks in Iraq, with this one coming just days before Pope Francis is expected to visit the region.
Missiles were launched in the early morning at Ain Al-Asad airbase, northwest of Baghdad. Wednesday, local time (11:20 p.m. Tuesday ET). Col. Wayne Marotto, the military spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, the 83-member coalition fighting ISIS, reported the attack in a tweet.
According to foreign media, the rocket attack comes after a US airstrike in eastern Syria last week that killed one fighter in an Iranian-backed militia and injured two others.
Iraqi security forces Major General Tahseen al-Khafaji told NBC News that the attack took place at 7:30 a.m. local time (11:30 p.m. ET) and that no injuries or damage were reported at the base. He added that security forces were looking into who was behind the attack.
The new attacks would instigate fears of a repetition of escalation which led to the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the top Iranian general.
Up till now, there are no immediate reports of responsibility for the attack.
However, the latest larger-scale rocket attack on the same base by Iranian-backed groups took the US to the verge of war with Iran a year ago.
