US base in Iraq hit amid rising Mideast tensions

U.S. military personnel clean up at al-Asad air base in western Iraq

At least five troops and contractors were injured when two rockets landed inside al-Asad air base

(Image credit: Ayman Henna / AFP via Getty Images)

published 6 August 2024

What happened

A base housing U.S. and allied military personnel in western Iraq was hit Monday by a suspected rocket attack that injured several American personnel, U.S. officials said. At least five troops and contractors were injured, one seriously, when two rockets landed inside al-Asad air base, Reuters said, citing initial estimates.

President Joe Biden said he and Vice President Kamala Harris met with national security advisers and discussed developments in the Middle East and steps to "respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing."

Monday's attack "comes at a fraught time in the region, as U.S. and Israeli officials brace for Iran's promised response" to the assassinations of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, The Washington Post said. But it's not clear if the al-Asad strike was part of that response or a "continuation of ongoing efforts by the Iran-backed groups in Iraq to target U.S. forces," The New York Times said. After Iran-backed militants targeted the same base in mid-July, the U.S. bombed a small drone factory near Bagdad last week, killing three Iraqi fighters and a Houthi commander visiting from Yemen.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.