Skip to content

A rocket attack at an Iraqi military base injures US personnel, officials tell AP

5a79afd88fdde428d9dcef75d0fb17ede0529afd4142fbc37b07b5d94bd04d03
The flags of Iraq and the United States are placed on the table during a meeting with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin meets and Iraqi Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several U.S. personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack at a military base in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said Monday, in what has been a recent uptick in strikes on American forces by Iranian-backed militias.

The attack comes as tensions across the Middle East are spiking following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran, in suspected Israeli strikes. Both groups are backed by Iran.

The U.S. defense officials said troops at al-Asad air base were still assessing the injuries and damage. Earlier Monday, Iraqi security officials confirmed the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

In recent weeks, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have resumed launching attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria after a lull of several months, following a strike on a base in Jordan in late January that killed three American soldiers and prompted a series of retaliatory U.S. strikes.

Between October and January, an umbrella group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had regularly claimed attacks that it said were in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and were aimed at pushing U.S. troops out of the region.

____

Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.

Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks