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On January 20, a large barrage of rockets hit al-Asad Air Base in the western Iraqi province of al-Anbar, where United States troops are known to be deployed.
Sabreen News, a Telegram channel affiliated with Iranian-backed armed factions in Iraq, said in separate posts on the messaging app that as many as 40 Grad 122 mm rockets were used in the attack on the air base and reported casualties.
Later, a U.S. official, citing initial assessments, told Reuters that U.S. troops suffered minor injuries and a member of Iraq’s security forces was seriously wounded in the attack.
Videos from the vicinity of al-Asad Air Base showed the trails of what appears to be interceptor missiles launched by the U.S. military, possibly from an Iron Dome air defense system. The U.S. purchased two such systems from Israel a few years ago.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the largest to target U.S. troops in Iraq since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed armed factions, was behind most of some 140 attacks that have targeted bases hosting U.S. troops in Iraq and others in neighboring Syria since October 17. The group said that the attacks were carried out in support of Palestinian people.
The U.S. responded more than once, attacking targets linked to the IRI in both Iraq and Syria. However, the group is only getting stronger and more daring.
Earlier this week, the IRI shot down an MQ-9 Reaper combat drone of the U.S. military over the northeastern Iraqi province of Diyala, confirming that it is in position of advanced air defense capabilities. It’s worth noting that the group used suicide drones as well as ballistic and cruise missiles in past attacks on U.S. troops and targets far away in Israel.
