You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Iraq
Blasts hit US-led coalition base in Baghdad
2020-02-16
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Several blasts hit a US-led coalition military base in Baghdad early on Sunday from an apparent rocket attack, a US military official said.

The official did not immediately say if the attack caused any casualties or significant damage.

This is the 19th attack against US assets in the country since late October.

The blasts were followed by aircraft circling over the Green Zone.

Earlier, Al Arabiya correspondent reported strong explosions near the vicinity of the US embassy in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

The explosion sent warning sirens blaring across the high-security diplomatic compound.

The attacks are never claimed but the US has pointed the finger at Iran-backed groups within the Hashed al-Shaabi, a military network officially incorporated into Iraq’s state security forces.

In late December, a rocket attack on the northern Iraqi base of K1 left one US contractor dead and unleashed a dramatic series of events.

Washington responded with retaliatory strikes against a hardline Hashed faction in western Iraq and days later, an American dronezap in Baghdad killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani
and his right-hand man, Hashed deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes.

Hashed factions have vowed Dire Revenge for the pair’s death, insisting US troops should immediately leave Iraq.

Sunday’s attack came just hours after one of the Hashed’s Iran-backed factions, Harakat al-Nujaba, announced a "countdown" to ousting American forces from the country.

Related:
Green Zone: 2020-01-27 Three out of five rockets fired directly hit the US embassy in Iraq’s capital
Green Zone: 2020-01-21 Three rockets fall inside Baghdad's Green Zone
Green Zone: 2020-01-21 Three rockets were launched from Zafaraniyah district outside Baghdad, sources say, adding that two rockets landed near the US embassy
Related:
Hashed al-Shaabi: 2020-01-09 Time for an ‘Iraqi response’ to a US drone strike that killed the network's deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
Hashed al-Shaabi: 2019-12-13 New rocket attack targets Iraq base housing US troops
Hashed al-Shaabi: 2019-12-09 Two rockets land near Baghdad airport targeting US forces
Related:
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes: 2019-12-30 Abu Ali al-Khazali was a close associate of Qassem Suleimani - killed by USAF.
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes: 2019-09-09 Iraq’s Hashd announces formation of Air Force
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandes: 2017-06-02 PMUs liberate village, evacuate 300 families, south of Baaj
Related:
Qassem Soleimani: 2020-02-14 Rocket attack hits northern Iraq base hosting US troops
Qassem Soleimani: 2020-02-14 ‘I hypothetically told the angel of death to take me instead of Qassem Soleimani’ says Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah
Qassem Soleimani: 2020-02-14 Iranians mock poster depicting slain Soleimani in heaven with male angels
Posted by:Fred

00:00