Militants Launch Fresh Rocket Attack On US Base In Iraq

Iran-affiliated militias in Iraq have fired a large number of rockets at the Ain Al-Asad military base hosting US troops on Saturday, Iraqi media reported.

Reuters quoted a US official as saying that American personnel suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq's security forces was seriously wounded in an attack citing initial assessments, which are subject to change. Some reports later said several Iraqi troops have been wounded.

The attack came after an Israeli air strike killed five officers of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in Damascus. Among those who died when a building was targeted by precision munitions, was Hojjatollah Omidvar or Hajj Sadegh, a senior Quds Force general, and apparently a senior intelligence officer.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said initial reports indicated that the base was hit by ballistic missiles but left open the possibility the base was hit by rockets, adding an assessment was ongoing.

Iran’s proxy forces in Iraq and Syria have launched around 140 attacks against US forces in both countries since mid-October in retaliation to US support for Israel. The Biden administration has retaliated on a few occasions, but it is not clear how it would respond to this latest attack.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanaani condemned the airstrike in Damascus blamed on Israel saying the Islamic Republic reserves the right to respond to Israel "in an appropriate time and place."