Iraq | Rockets against air base housing F-16s

Defence Redefined

Published on 19/04/2021 at 10:43

Five rockets were launched at Iraq’s Balad air base north of Baghdad, injuring five people. Two of the rockets hit the dormitory and the canteen of the US company Sallyport, according to an Iraqi security official.

Of the five wounded, two are foreign workers and three are Iraqi soldiers.

The Balad base, north of Baghdad, houses F-16 fighter jets and maintenance companies employing Iraqi and foreign staff. An Iraqi employee was injured during a similar attack on the same base on February 21.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iranian-backed militants have claimed responsibility for similar attacks in the past.

Overall, about 20 attacks have been carried out on bases housing US troops or US diplomatic missions since Joe Biden took over the US presidency. Dozens of other attacks have taken place since the fall of 2019 under Trump’s presidency.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group claimed responsibility in the early hours of Saturday for an attack on two oil wells in the Bai Hassan oilfield in northern Iraq on Saturday, according to a report on the Telegram website.

In a statement, however, the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum assured that the attack, of which IS spoke, “did not cause fire or damage, did not affect production, nor did it stop the extraction from the oilfield.”

Also read: Iraqi F-16s destroy a base of Islamic State terrorists – VIDEO