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US civilian contractor killed and several US and Iraqi personnel wounded in Kirkuk rocket attack
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Rudaw adds:
K1 military base in Kirkuk province has been struck by a number of missiles, Iraqi Security Media Cell said late on Friday. Two policemen were killed in the attack, according to a local security source.

The Cell did not provide further information, but a Kirkuk federal police source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw that at least two policemen were killed in the attack. Those reportedly killed were Sattar Jabbar Jihad, 28, and Ali Razi Abd, 25. Both were from the central Iraqi province of Babil.

Located just 15 kilometers from downtown Kirkuk, the K1 military base has housed elite Iraqi troops and Global Coalition against Islamic State (ISIS) forces in the past. Formerly under Kurdish Peshmerga control, it was captured by Iraqi forces in October 2017. It is not clear whether any counter-ISIS coalition personnel were present at the base at the time of attack. A source from the Coalition, who chose not to be named, confirmed the attack, adding that 10 missiles struck the base.

“Ten rockets hit Coalition base in Kirkuk tonight as Major Iraqi mission was preparing to begin,” the source said, without elaborating on the mission.

However, a security force told a local outlet Kirkuk Now that the Iraqi Army deployed troops to the southeast of the province to enhance its security following a number of recent ISIS attacks. It is not clear if the deployment is related to the “Major Iraqi mission” or not.

A Rudaw reporter at the scene said he heard the sound of ambulances and saw helicopters flying over the base after reports of missile strikes.

The province has recently seen a surge in ISIS attacks that have killed both security forces and civilians. At least one civilian was killed and two others injured in a live shooting against a civilian vehicle on the Kirkuk-Tirkit highway late on Thursday, according to the Iraqi Security Media Cell. However, Saeed Ali Husseini, head of public relations for the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Northern Front, told Rudaw four civilians were killed in the attack.

He added that his organization, known to Iraqis as Hashd al-Shaabi, suspects ISIS members to be behind the attack.

Three members of Iraq’s security forces were killed in two separate attacks in Kirkuk and Saladin provinces by ISIS on Tuesday.
The Times of Israel has subsequent details:
A US defense contractor was killed and several American and Iraqi troops were wounded Friday in a rocket attack in northern Iraq, US officials said.

According to officials, the attack involved as many as 30 rockets fired at the Iraqi military compound near Kirkuk, where US service members are also based.

Such attacks have taken place on several occasions over the past few months, with US officials for the most part blaming Iran-backed fighters.

Col. Myles Caggins, a spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, said Iraqi security forces were leading the investigation and response to the attack.
The Jerusalem Post adds:
The rockets set off munitions at a storage facility when they landed resulting in confusing reports after the incident. Iraqi Federal Police located the suspected origin of the attack and found a truck with four rockets that had not yet been fired. In the past rocket launchers have been found that were used in attacks. Iraq has not yet concluded who was behind this or former attacks. Rockets and mortars have been fired at Balad air base, Asad base and Camp Taji, as well as near Q-West airbase.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US will hold Iran responsible if its proxies target US forces in Iraq. The State Department has also pointed fingers at Iran for recent attacks.

Posted by: 3dc 2019-12-28
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=559588