At least 10 rockets were fired at a U.S.-led coalition base in western Iraq on Wednesday morning (March 3) following U.S. airstrikes on pro-Iranian militias in Syria, and coalition and Iraqi forces are investigating.
A coalition spokesman, U.S. Army Col. Wayne Marotto, confirmed that Ain al-Assad Air Base was hit by 10 rockets at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday. U.S., Iraqi and coalition forces are stationed at the base to help Iraq fight the remnants of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.
The Iraqi military said the rockets did not cause significant damage to the coalition base, but security sources told AFP that the attack caused the death of a civilian contractor for coalition forces who suffered a heart attack.
AFP quoted sources in Western security agencies as saying the rockets were Iranian-made Arash 122mm artillery rockets.
On Feb. 15, Iranian rockets struck an airfield and most military bases in Erbil province in northern Iraq, killing a Filipino contractor working with U.S. forces and wounding six people, including a U.S. serviceman.
U.S. forces then struck back, launching airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia facilities in eastern Syria, a strike that destroyed several border control facilities manned by Iranian-backed militant militias, in President Biden‘s first military action.
Fox reports that U.S. military officials anticipated possible retaliation after President Biden ordered the airstrikes against Syria.
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