Erbil Airport in Iraq Hosting US Troops Comes Under Rocket, Drone Attack - Reports
20:56 GMT 06.07.2021 (Updated: 00:34 GMT 07.07.2021)
© REUTERS / AZAD LASHKARI
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The late Tuesday incident comes a day after at least one rocket fell near the al-Asad air base, an Iraqi military installation close to the Erbil International Airport that hosts US troops. At the time, military officials detailed that the incident did not cause significant damage as the explosive did not detonate.
The Erbil International Airport in Iraq was struck with a bevy of rocket and drone attacks late Tuesday, marking the latest incident in a spate of recent strikes in the area, security forces with the Kurdistan Region's Counterterrorism Directorate have detailed.
Unconfirmed estimates from militia-affiliated outlets suggest that at least 20 rockets were launched toward the airport. Reports have also indicated that the strike included the usage of three drones.
A statement released by the directorate details that the attack unfolded at roughly 10:30 p.m. local time, and that no structural damage was detected. It was also noted the strikes resulted in no fatalities. Although a fire did break out, it was promptly extinguished.
Details of the directorate's release were also confirmed by Col. Wayne Marotto, spokesperson for US' Operation Inherent Resolve mission in the region. The US military official also stated that an update would be issued once "further information" is obtained.
Video footage from the area captures emergency sirens blaring at the US Consulate.
— Karwan Faidhi Dri (@KarwanFaidhiDri) July 6, 2021
🔻 video
— Suribelle (@Suribelle1) July 6, 2021
Scenes of fire from inside the US military base at Erbil airport tonight… pic.twitter.com/F8wleTlTCp
The latest development comes just one day after officials revealed that a rocket was struck down over the US embassy in Baghdad, as well as rockets that were deployed toward the al-Asad air base, a nearby station that hosts US troops.
Late Sunday, the Pentagon said that US military aircraft had struck facilities of Kata'ib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada in the Syrian-Iraqi border region in response to attacks against American interests in Iraq. According to Syrian state television, the airstrikes likely left a child killed and three people injured.
In fact, since the start of 2021, US-led coalition troops having been coming under fire in the area since mid-February, when multiple rocket attacks prompted two fatalities and over a dozen injuries.
Last June, a senior Iraqi military spokesperson said that Ayn Al Asad was the only air base in Iraq where the US-led coalition forces were still stationed after the Iraqi parliament's decision that all foreign troops must withdraw.
