US airbase in Iraq hit by Iran-backed militants airstrike
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Representational.
Washington: A US military base in Iraq was struck by missiles launched by Iran-backed militants on Saturday evening, injuring an Iraqi. There might be American casualties too, Agence France-Presse reported, citing US Central Command.
CENTCOM said in a social media post that multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched targeting the al-Assad airbase in western Iraq at 6:30 pm Baghdad time.
When most of those launched were defended by the airbase's defence system, some hit the base. Many US personnel who were hosted by the base were subjected to evaluation of traumatic brain injuries.
AFP reports that there have been many attacks on US and allied forces in Iraq and Syria since October last. Responsibility for most attacks was owned by "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" (IRI). This group is reportedly allied with Iran-backed militant groups who are against the US, which supports Israel in the Gaza conflict.
In a press release, IRI stated that it conducted the attack on the US base.
As per AFP, so far, militants attacked the US with lower-tech weapons, including rockets and drones, but now the use of ballistic missiles suggests an escalation.
On Saturday, five of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members were killed in Damascus. Iran had blamed Israel for the same and threatened retaliation.
Last Monday, Iran struck a site in northern Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, saying that spies of Mossad used the area.
The US had also launched strikes, which it said were to defend and restrict further attacks. The country had said that dozens of US personnel got injured in various attacks since October.