A rocket attack on the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq wounded multiple US personnel on Monday, officials reported. This incident adds to the already heightened regional tensions amid expectations of an Iranian counterattack on Israel.
The Ain al-Assad base, which hosts American troops and personnel from the US-led coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group, has been the target of several recent attacks. A US defense spokesperson confirmed the latest attack, stating, “There was a suspected rocket attack today against US and coalition forces at the base. Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured.”
Following the attack, base personnel conducted a post-attack damage assessment, with updates to be provided as more information becomes available. The White House confirmed that US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed on the attack. “They discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing,” the White House stated.
An Iraqi military source reported that multiple rockets were fired at the base, with some landing inside it and another hitting a nearby village without causing damage. A commander in a pro-Iran armed group mentioned that at least two rockets targeted the base, though did not specify who was responsible for the attack. Other sources in the group and a security source confirmed that an attack occurred.
Earlier in the conflict between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants in Gaza, such attacks were frequent but have since largely ceased. The recent rocket fire occurs amid growing fears of an Iranian and allied attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of top Hamas and Hezbollah figures in strikes attributed to or claimed by Israel.
The recent escalation in hostilities is among the most serious series of tit-for-tat attacks, heightening fears of a regional conflagration stemming from the Gaza war. The Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” against Israel, which includes Iraqi groups and Yemen’s Houthis, has already been drawn into the nearly 10-month war.
Monday’s rocket attack follows a US strike last week on combatants attempting to launch drones deemed a threat to American and allied troops. The strike, which Iraqi sources say killed four people, was the first by American forces in Iraq since February.
There have been two recent attacks targeting bases hosting US and allied forces in Iraq, on July 16 and 25. Prior to that, US troops in Iraq and Syria had not been targeted since April, though such attacks were frequent during the early months of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with more than 175 incidents reported.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of pro-Iran groups, claimed the majority of these attacks, stating they were in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
In January, a drone strike blamed on these groups killed three US soldiers at a base in Jordan. In retaliation, US forces launched dozens of strikes against Tehran-backed fighters in Iraq and Syria.
Baghdad has sought to defuse tensions, engaging in talks with Washington on the future of the US-led coalition’s mission in Iraq, with Iran-backed groups demanding a withdrawal. The US military currently has around 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.
