Several US personnel injured in Iraq Ain al-Assad Airbase attack
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A rocket attack injured US personnel in the strategic Ain al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq, following a US strike on PMF members last Tuesday.
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United States Soldiers stand while bulldozers clear rubble and debris at Ain al-Assad air base in Anbar, Iraq, on January 13, 2020. (AP)
Several American personnel were injured in a rocket attack that targeted United States forces in the Ain al-Assad Airbase, Iraq, on Monday, a US Department of Defense spokesperson said.
"There was a suspected rocket attack today against US and coalition forces at Al-Assad Airbase, Iraq. Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured," the spokesperson explained.
The Ain al-Assad Airbase is a strategic military site established by US forces following their invasion of Iraq, located in the western al-Anbar Governorate.
Recently, amid the Israeli war on Gaza, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has targeted the Ain al-Assad site on multiple occasions, injuring two US troops in an attack in January 2024. Back then, a Pentagon spokesperson said that the two soldiers suffered "traumatic brain injuries," which can range from serious brain damage to concussions.
US-Israeli escalation threatens systematic strikes on US bases
In February, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, suspended its operations against US forces in Iraq, in hopes that a special governmental committee and Washington would negotiate a framework for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
However, the recent Israeli and US escalations in Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq, threaten the resumption of systematic operations against American military presence in the region.
On July 31, US aircraft raided a grouping of Popular Mobilization Forces troops, which it claimed to be an action of "self-defense," a US official told Reuters on the conditions of anonymity at the time.
Four of the Iraqi government's PMF troops were killed in the strike, according to reports.
Read more: 'Israel' will pay a growing price as it continues Gaza war: Khazali
US military convoys monitored
As the region is pushed into a state of escalation, via US and Israeli assassinations of Resistance leaders and fighters, Washington is readying up its forces to mitigate the effects of the Resistance's retaliations.
The head of Al Mayadeen's bureau in Baghdad reported US military convoys were spotted at the Arar border crossing between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. He said that the reports indicate that the military movements come in the context of preparation to counter the anticipated Iranian response to the Israeli assassination of martyr Ismail Haniyeh in northern Tehran, Iran.
Read more: US forces in Iraq under attack; explosions dubbed 'most violent' yet
