US military base in Iraq under "rain of fire" attack

Căn cứ quân sự Mỹ tại Iraq bị mưa hỏa lực tấn công - 1 — Ain al-Asad air base (Photo: Reuters).

Reuters quoted an anonymous US official as saying that several US personnel were slightly injured and one Iraqi security force member was seriously injured in the January 20 attack on Ain al-Asad air base.

Initial reports indicated the base was hit by a ballistic missile, the source said, but he left open the possibility that rockets were used. An investigation is underway.

Two Iraqi security sources and a government source said the base was hit by multiple rockets fired from inside Iraq.

Iraq's Shafaq news agency quoted a security source as saying that the Ain al-Asad base in Iraq's western Anbar province was hit by at least 15 missiles.

The source revealed that the missiles were launched from the Iraqi city of Albaghdadi, without providing further information.

Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, confirmed the attack injured one Iraqi soldier and caused material damage.

Since the Israel-Hamas war began last October, US military facilities in Iraq have been attacked at least 58 times and sites in Syria 83 times. The weapons used are missiles and UAVs.

Iran-backed militias are believed to be behind the attacks, apparently in retaliation for US support for Israel against Hamas.

The US currently has 900 troops in Syria and 2,500 in Iraq with what it claims is a mission to lead an international coalition against the terrorist organization IS.

The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has announced moves to request the withdrawal of US forces after Washington carried out a UAV attack inside Iraq.

The Pentagon said the strike eliminated a militia leader accused of being behind attacks on Americans. However, Iraq criticized the attack, saying it "went beyond the spirit and letter of the international coalition's mission".

The Pentagon said it had not been formally notified of any plans to end the US military presence in Iraq and stressed that its troops were deployed there at the request of the Baghdad government.

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