BAGHDAD (AP) – At least 10 rockets hit a military base in western Iraq that hosts US-led coalition troops on Wednesday, the coalition and the Iraqi military said. It was not immediately known if there were any victims.
The rockets hit Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province at 7:20 am, said spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto.
The Iraqi military later released 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 military official said they were found in the al-Baghdadi area of Anbar, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to inform the media.
It was the first attack since the US hit Iran-aligned militia targets along the Iraq-Syria border last week that killed a militiaman, fueling fears of a possible repeat of a series of eye-for-eye attacks that escalated 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 where Iran attacked 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.
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 Irbil.
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.
The frequent rocket attacks aimed at the heavily fortified Green Zone, which is home to the U.S. Embassy, during President Donald Trump’s term, have frustrated the administration, leading to threats of embassy closure and staggered attacks.
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Associated Press editor Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed to this report.