Iraq officials: Rockets strike outside airport near U.S. base
- par Amanda Heroux
- dans Science
- — Fév 16, 2021
A volley of rockets targeted the Kurdish regional capital in northern Iraq late Monday, authorities said, as security sources confirmed that at least one hit a military complex hosting US-led coalition troops.
"Three missiles fell in the area of Erbil global airport, security officials were dispersed in the area", the broadcaster said, citing a source in the Iraqi security services.
The attack was the first time Western military or diplomatic installations have been targeted in Iraq in almost two months, after a string of such incidents. Five civilian contractors were injured, tweeted coalition spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto.
Delovan Jalal, the head of Arbil's health directorate, told AFP at least five civilians were wounded and one was in critical condition.
A statement from the Kurdish interior ministry said a number of rockets were fired towards Erbil and its outskirts around 9:30 p.m. local time and some people were wounded, but it offered no further details.
According to the report, the explosions were heard in the airport area.
Iraqi President Barham Salih called the attack "a risky escalation and a criminal terrorist attack".
Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the autonomous Kurdish region, condemned the attack "in the strongest terms". The governor of Mosul denied that rockets were fired from the area.
Hoshiyar Zebari, a politburo member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said security officials were investigating the source of the attack.
Western military and diplomatic sites have been targeted by dozens of rockets and roadside bombs since late 2019.
Groups that some Iraqi officials say have links with Iran have claimed a series of rocket and roadside attacks against coalition forces, contractors working for the coalition and United States installations including the embassy in Baghdad in recent months.
In December 2019, a United States contractor was killed in a rocket attack on a base in Kirkuk province, prompting the U.S. to respond with air strikes against Kataeb Hezbollah.
It was the most deadly attack to hit US -led forces for nearly a year in Iraq, where tensions have escalated between USA forces, their Iraqi and Kurdish allies on one side and Iran-aligned militias on the other.
Attacks targeting Irbil airport are rare.
Since Iraq declared victory against IS in late 2017, the coalition has drawn down to under 3,500 troops in total, 2,500 of them Americans.
The identity of the attackers was not immediately clear, and American forces are often targeted by forces including ISIS, but American officials including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have blamed Iran-backed groups for previous strikes on U.S. forces in recent years.
Rocket attacks have frequently target the US presence in Baghdad, including the US Embassy, as well as convoys ferrying materials for the US-led coalition.
The Iraqi government facilitated an indefinite truce with hardline groups and the fire had come to a near halt.
USA troops occupy a military base adjacent to the civilian airport. The US under the previous Trump administration blamed Iran-backed groups for carrying out the attacks.
