Baghdad: At least three rockets hit close Baghdadof international air port Iraqi officials said a nearby military base that hosts US and other coalition advisers on Friday suffered damage to an abandoned commercial plane, but there were no casualties.
Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the rockets took off and landed between civilian and military areas of the airport in the early hours because they were not authorized to provide information to the press.
Iraqi Airways, the country’s major carrier, said in a statement that the attack damaged one of its service aircraft parked near the airport, but that operations were going as normal and no delays were expected.
The attack is the latest in a series of rocket and drone attacks that have targeted a US presence Iraq Since the start of the year, following the second anniversary of the US attack that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Pro-Iranian Shia groups in Iraq have vowed to avenge Soleimani’s killing and have put the condition of ending the attacks if US troops are completely pulled out of the country.
The US-led coalition last month formally ended its combat mission supporting Iraqi forces in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group. Some 2,500 soldiers will remain as the coalition shifts to an advisory mission to continue supporting Iraqi forces.
Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the rockets took off and landed between civilian and military areas of the airport in the early hours because they were not authorized to provide information to the press.
Iraqi Airways, the country’s major carrier, said in a statement that the attack damaged one of its service aircraft parked near the airport, but that operations were going as normal and no delays were expected.
The attack is the latest in a series of rocket and drone attacks that have targeted a US presence Iraq Since the start of the year, following the second anniversary of the US attack that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Pro-Iranian Shia groups in Iraq have vowed to avenge Soleimani’s killing and have put the condition of ending the attacks if US troops are completely pulled out of the country.
The US-led coalition last month formally ended its combat mission supporting Iraqi forces in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group. Some 2,500 soldiers will remain as the coalition shifts to an advisory mission to continue supporting Iraqi forces.
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