US military base in Iraq 'attacked'

"Victory Base at Baghdad airport was attacked with three rockets, two of which were shot down by the base's special defense forces, while the third fell near the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Service Command," one of the two sources confirmed.

Members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service participate in a drill at Baghdad International Airport (Iraq) on June 21, 2023.

A second security source confirmed the information, noting that there were no casualties and the rocket did not affect air traffic.

There is currently no information about the reaction of the US or Iraq to the rocket launch. No group has claimed responsibility.

The new attack comes as the Hamas-Israel conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israeli attacks in Lebanon threaten to spiral into a regional conflict.

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Since the conflict in Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023, armed groups have targeted bases in Iraq and Syria that house US troops because of Washington’s military support for Israel. The US has responded by repeatedly launching airstrikes against such groups in both Iraq and Syria.

The US currently has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and about 900 in Syria as part of a coalition it formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State (IS) group. The coalition also includes forces from other countries, including the UK and France.

Several armed groups in Iraq have demanded that coalition troops leave the country. Washington and Baghdad announced on September 27 that the international coalition would end its decades-long military mission in Iraq within a year. However, the joint statement and US officials did not say how many US troops would remain in Iraq.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/can-cu-co-binh-si-my-dong-tru-o-iraq-bi-tan-cong-185241001073130454.htm