This incident comes as tensions across the Middle East escalate, with the ongoing war in Gaza
Three rockets were fired at a base housing U.S. troops at Baghdad International Airport on Tuesday, with no casualties reported, according to Iraqi security sources.
“The Victory Base at Baghdad Airport was targeted with three rockets, two of which were shot down by the base’s special defences, while the third fell near the headquarters of the Counter Terrorism Service Command,” a security source revealed. Another source confirmed the attack, noting that there were no injuries and air traffic at the airport remained unaffected.
This incident comes as tensions across the Middle East escalate, with the ongoing war in Gaza and Israeli strikes in Lebanon raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Since the Gaza conflict began on October 7, bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have been targeted by militant groups, who oppose Washington’s military support for Israel.
In response to these attacks, the U.S. has conducted airstrikes on militant group headquarters in both Iraq and Syria.
Currently, the U.S. maintains about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria, as part of the international coalition formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State group. This coalition includes forces from nations such as Britain and France. However, armed Iraqi factions aligned with Iran have been demanding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region.
In a joint statement on Friday, Washington and Baghdad announced plans for the international coalition to end its military mission in Iraq within a year. However, it remains unclear how many U.S. troops will stay in the country beyond that period.
While there had been a decrease in attacks in recent months, the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq was hit by rockets in August, injuring seven Americans. Additionally, in September, U.S. officials reported that militias aligned with Iran had targeted the U.S. diplomatic complex in Baghdad.
As regional tensions continue to simmer, incidents like these underscore the fragile security situation in Iraq and its potential to become a flashpoint in the broader Middle Eastern conflict.
