At least five American personnel were injured in a rocket attack on Al-Asad airbase in western Iraq.
According to two Iraqi security sources, two Katyusha rockets struck the base on Monday. US officials reported that one of the injured Americans was seriously wounded. The initial casualty count may change as more details emerge.
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the incident.
The attack comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as Israel prepares for a potential ground assault involving Hamas and Iran, following the recent assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, both backed by Iran. It remains unclear if the rocket attack was connected to Iran’s threats of retaliation for the Hamas leader’s killing.
“We can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against US and Coalition forces at Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq,” a Pentagon official stated. “Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured. Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment.”
Reports indicate that more than 150 attacks on US personnel in Iraq and Syria occurred between October 17, 2023, and January 29, 2024. The frequency of these attacks decreased after a drone strike killed three American troops at a small US outpost in Jordan in January, prompting a significant US response targeting 85 locations.
“The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world,” Biden said at the time. “But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”
