Two Katyusha rockets were fired at the Ain al-Assad air base. An Iraqi security source said the rockets landed inside the base.
At least five US service members were injured in an attack on a military base in Iraq, US officials said, amid rising tensions following the killing last week of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Two Katyusha rockets were fired at the Ain al-Assad air base in western Iraq on Monday, two Iraqi security sources told the Reuters news agency. One of the Iraqi sources said the rockets landed inside the base. It was unclear whether the attack was related to Iran’s threats to retaliate for the assassination of the Hamas leader.
The US officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said one of the Americans was seriously injured. The Associated Press news agency, however, citing US defense officials, said up to seven military personnel and civilians were injured.
The White House said the president and vice president had been briefed on the attack.
“Base personnel are conducting an assessment of post-attack damage,” one of the officials told Reuters. Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, was assassinated in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week, an attack that sparked threats of revenge from Iran. Iran blamed Israel for the murder, but Israel did not take responsibility.
Adding to tensions, an Israeli attack on Beirut last week also killed Fuad Shukir, the senior commander of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Iran has said the United States is responsible for Haniyeh’s murder due to its support for Israel.
US mobilizes military forces in anticipation of retaliatory threats
In a phone call on Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant agreed that the attack marked “a dangerous escalation,” according to a Pentagon readout.
Last week, the US carried out a strike in Iraq against individuals who US officials said were “militants” who were preparing to launch drones and who posed a threat to US and coalition forces.
The US has been keeping a close eye on Iran’s response to Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran.
Following the assassination, the US sent additional military forces to the Middle East in anticipation of retaliatory strikes, describing the deployment as “defensive”.
The nearly 10-month war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has led to regular low-level hostilities between Israel, Iran and Hezbollah, as well as other groups in the region that are aligned with Tehran.
It is widely considered that neither side is prepared for an all-out war, but rising tensions mean the risk of a conflagration is high.
A rare ally of the US and Iran, Iraq hosts 2,500 US troops and has groups of Iranian-backed fighters linked to its security forces. The country has witnessed an escalation of retaliatory attacks since the war in Gaza broke out in October.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
