Two rockets targeted a military base in #Kirkuk which hosts #US troops, no casualties reported
[PUBLISH.TWITTER]
Kirkuk’s K1 military base, which hosts US forces, came under rocket attack on Thursday night, security sources confirmed to Rudaw. No casualties have been reported.
An official for the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State group (ISIS) told Rudaw English a single rocket hit in the K1 base.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell confirmed the incident in a tweet.
“A rocket fell in the K1 base in Kirkuk province without causing any damage worth mentioning,” the cell said.
Security forces searched the area and discovered a launch pad containing 11 unfired rockets, the cell added.
Citing three Iraqi security sources, AFP reported the attack occurred at 8:45 PM local time.
Approximately 5,200 US troops are stationed across several Iraqi military bases as part of the global anti-ISIS coalition to train and support local forces. These bases, however, have repeatedly come under rocket attack in recent months. Iran-backed militias affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, are believed to be responsible.
A similar attack on December 27 targeting the K1 base killed a US civilian contractor and injured other servicemen, escalating tensions between the US and Iran.
The death of a US citizen was a redline for the Americans, who on December 29 conducted retaliatory airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah, a Shiite militia largely thought responsible for the K1 attack, killing 25 fighters.
Kataib Hezbollah supports then stormed the US embassy compound in Baghdad.
Posted by: Fred 2020-02-14 |