US forces in Iraq under attack; explosions dubbed 'most violent' yet
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Al Mayadeen's sources have confirmed that at least 10 rockets have struck the US' Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq.
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US troops stand at a site of the wreckage resulting from the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps' bombing of the Ain al-Assad Airbase in al-Anbar, Iraq, on January 13, 2020, which came in response to the assassination of leader martyr Qassem Soleimani. (AP)
US forces in Ain al-Assad Airbase in western Iraq came under attack on Saturday, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported.
Sources told Al Mayadeen that the attack encompassed several large caliber rockets fired from multiple directions toward the airbase. Moreover, our sources revealed that at least 10 rockets directly hit the airbase's wing or its vicinity.
In the same context, Iraqi media outlets have reported on initial observations regarding the detection of a large barrage of rockets launched in the direction of the American military base.
Meanwhile, Fox News' correspondent Lucas Tomlinson posted on X that over 15 US Patriot surface-to-air missiles were launched to intercept what he claimed were Iranian missiles.
BREAKING: Over 15 U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missiles fired from al-Asad air base in Iraq to intercept incoming Iranian missiles - source
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) January 20, 2024
However, shortly after, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement it released.
The airbase is located in al-Anbar Governorate and is one of two US-operated airbases in the West Asian country.
US troops injured in attack
Reuters, citing an unnamed US official, reported that US personnel suffered injuries as a result of Saturday's attack on Iraq's Ain al-Assad air base Saturday.
The official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the initial report is based on preliminary data and is subject to change, as the US forces assess their losses.
Importantly, the official said the initial reports indicate that the base was hit by several ballistic missiles but left open the possibility that the base was hit by rockets.
Later, the US Central Command confirmed that multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched in Western Iraq targeting the Ain al-Assad air base, adding that "a number of US personnel are undergoing evaluation for traumatic brain injuries," while "at least one Iraqi service member was wounded."
Iranian-backed Militants Attack Al-Assad Airbase, Iraq
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 20, 2024
At approximately 6:30 p.m. (Baghdad time) time Jan. 20, multiple ballistic missiles and rockets were launched by Iranian-backed militants in Western Iraq targeting al-Assad Airbase. Most of the missiles were intercepted by… pic.twitter.com/rYaNrRdRtu
US suffers 140+ attacks
The United States military has come under constant attacks in Syria and Iraq since October 17. The majority of the 140+ operations have been adopted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a collection of Islamic Resistance factions that operate under a collective wing.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh admitted earlier this week that US forces in the region came under attack 140 times. Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, Singh disclosed that the attacks have been "persistent and alarming."
"To date, there have been approximately 140 attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria: 57 attacks in Iraq and 83 attacks in Syria," she stated.
The Pentagon has reported a significant toll on its personnel, with nearly 70 military members wounded and one non-combatant contractor losing their life as a result of these attacks.
MQ-9 drone downed in Diyala
The Islamic Resistance emphasizes in every statement that its operations come in response to the US' essential role in spurring the Israeli genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, as well as the faction's determination to boot "US occupation forces" out of the region.
In its latest operation, the Iraqi Resistance said it downed a high-tech US-operated MQ-9 reaper drone over Iraq's Diyala Governate. The drone had taken off from the US-operated Ali Salem airbase in Kuwait.
The MQ-9 drone is capable of carrying multiple missiles and has been reportedly used in high-profile assassination plots conducted by the United States in the region. The system costs the US tens of millions of dollars, as Fox News reports its price at $32 million. The fact that multiple factions of the Axis of Resistance have now proved their ability to take down the high-tech system sheds light on the Resistance's ability to confront the world's most advanced military, using available and limited resources, in their bid to secure their nations aspirations of liberation and autonomy.
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