Baghdad – At least 10 rockets hit a military base in western Iraq that hosts about 2,000 US troops on Wednesday, US and Iraqi military officials said. A US defense official told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin that there were no reported casualties among US or coalition troops, but a civilian contractor died of a heart attack during the rocket attack. The contractor’s nationality was not immediately clarified.
The rockets hit Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province at 7:20 am, according to Col. Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the US-led military coalition.
The Iraqi military later issued a statement saying that the attack did not cause significant losses and that security forces found the launch pad used for the missiles. An Iraqi official said he was found in the al-Baghdadi area of Anbar, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to inform the media.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but a similar large-scale rocket attack on the same base a year ago by Iranian-backed militias brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran.
Twitter / Mustafa al-Dulaimi
The rocket salvo on Wednesday was the first attack since the USA attacked militia targets aligned with Iran along the Iraq-Syria border last week, killing a militiaman and fueling fears of a possible repeat of a series of eye-for-eye attacks that intensified last year, culminating in the US-led drone attack that killed Iranian general Qassim Soleimani outside Baghdad airport.
Wednesday’s attack targeted the same base that Iran hit with a flurry of missiles in January last year in retaliation for Soleimani’s death. Dozens of US military personnel were injured, suffering concussions during the attack. How David Martin reported for “60 Minutes,” the attack was the biggest ballistic missile attack on Americans.
His report for “60 Minutes” took a first look at the drone video of the attack and he spoke to some of the American soldiers who were there on the night that brought the United States and Iran closer than ever to total war.
Denmark, which also has troops at the base, condemned the attack, saying coalition forces in Ain al-Asad are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government, helping to bring stability and security to the country.
“Despicable attacks on Ain al-Asad’s base in #Iraq are completely unacceptable,” tweeted Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod. The Danish Armed Forces said that two Danes, who were in the field at the time of the attack, are unharmed.
Wednesday’s attack comes two days before Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq, on a long-awaited trip that will include Baghdad, southern Iraq and the northern city of Erbil.
The US attack last week along the border was in response to a wave of rocket attacks aimed at the American presence, including one that killed a Philippine coalition contractor outside Irbil airport.
After that attack, the Pentagon said the attack was a “proportional military response” taken after consulting coalition partners.
Marotto said Iraqi security forces are conducting an investigation into the attack on Ain al-Asad.
American troops in Iraq significantly decreased their presence in the country last year under the Trump administration. The forces withdrew from several Iraqis based across the country to consolidate themselves mainly in Ain al-Asad and Baghad.
Frequent rocket attacks by Iran-supported militias operating in Iraq, targeting the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses the U.S. Embassy, during President Donald Trump’s tenure in office frustrated the administration, leading to threats of embassy closure and staggered attacks.