Rockets hit base housing US troops for second time

The news comes just few days after two American soldiers and a British serviceman were killed by an attack on the Camp Taji base that resulted in massive strikes against the local Shia militia by the US-led coalition.

Several rockets hit coalition troops north of Baghdad, Iraqi security officials stated on Saturday, in a second attack against the Camp Taji this week. At the moment, there is no official information about damage or victims caused by the assault.

According to a statement, a few rockets hit the coalition quarters while several others fell on a runway used by Iraqi forces.

According to military sources, several rockets fell inside the base causing sirens to blare.

Wednesday's rocket attack that killed three coalition soldiers came after Washington announced it would be moving air and missile defence systems into Iraq to defend against ballistic missile and drone threats. US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said that the attack was carried out by Iranian-backed militants, however, Tehran refuted the accusations.

In response, the US carried out airstrikes against an Iraqi Shia paramilitary group Kataib Hezbollah and state-sponsored Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), killing at least six. The operation was criticised by the Iraqi authorities, who also summoned the American and British envoys to the foreign ministry after the attack.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt