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.
Quick Read
- A rocket attack at an Iraqi military base injured several U.S. personnel, according to U.S. defense officials.
- The attack occurred at al-Asad air base in Iraq amid increasing tensions in the Middle East, following recent killings of key figures in Hezbollah and Hamas, both backed by Iran.
- U.S. defense officials reported that the injuries and damage were still being assessed. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
- The officials provided information anonymously due to the sensitivity of military operations.
- Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have resumed attacks on U.S. bases after a period of relative calm since a deadly strike in Jordan in January.
- The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of militias, had previously claimed attacks between October and January, citing retaliation for U.S. support of Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza and aiming to expel U.S. troops from the region.
The Associated Press has the story:
A rocket attack at an Iraqi military base injures US personnel, officials say
Newslooks- 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.
