US personnel injured in suspected rocket attack on airbase in Iraq

Several US personnel have been injured after a suspected rocket attack on the Al Asad airbase in western Iraq, US officials have confirmed.

The attack occurs amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following the killings of senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently stated that the region is at a critical moment, highlighting the precarious security situation. Officials informed CBS News that the base was hit by two Katyusha rockets, with one landing inside the base. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.

A Department of Defense spokesperson said, “We can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against US and Coalition forces at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq. Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured. Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment.”

The number of injured personnel remains unclear, but a senior US military official noted that no critical injuries, such as loss of limbs, have been reported, and no service members were killed.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident. In a statement on X, he said he and Vice President Kamala Harris were updated in the Situation Room on the developments in the Middle East. “We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again,” Biden stated. “We also 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.”

This attack follows a US strike in Iraq last week, which was described as an act of self-defence against militants preparing to launch drones against US and coalition forces.

Tensions have been escalating, particularly after the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran by a blast at his guesthouse last Wednesday. The IRGC accused Israel of orchestrating the attack, supported by the US. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's death.

Additionally, Israel claimed responsibility for killing a top Hezbollah commander in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital. Both Iran and Hezbollah have threatened retaliation against Israel for these killings.

The Al Asad airbase was previously attacked in January by Iranian-backed militias, who launched ballistic missiles and rockets. The majority of these were intercepted, but several US personnel were assessed for traumatic brain injuries, and an Iraqi service member was wounded.

The base, in use by the US since 2004 following the invasion of Iraq, has seen visits from former US Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.