Rocket Hits U.S. Base in Iraq’s Kirkuk

Date: 14 February 2020 - 23:10

News ID: ۷۶۱۰۲

BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – A Katyusha rocket has landed on a military base that houses U.S. troops in Iraq’s northern province of Kirkuk, a local security source says.
The attack took place on Thursday evening when the rocket hit K1 military base in the oil-rich province of Kirkuk without causing casualties, the source said on condition of anonymity.
Iraqi police forces searched the area where the rocket was launched from, and found a 12-rocket Katyusha launcher with only one rocket was fired on the base, the source said.
It was the first attack on the K1 base since December 27 last year, when a volley of rockets killed an American contractor and wounded several military personnel.
Shortly after the attack, the Pentagon issued a statement, announcing that it had carried out what it called "defensive strikes” in Iraq and Syria against the facilities of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha’abi.
The Pentagon added that it had targeted three locations of the Iraqi fighters in Iraq and two in Syria.
It said the raids targeted weapon storage facilities and command control locations, claiming that the bombings were in response to attacks targeting American forces in Iraq.
On January 14, Iraq’s military announced in a statement that Camp Taji, situated approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, had been targeted by Katyusha rockets but reported that there were no casualties.
The statement did not say how many rockets had hit the military base, with no group claiming responsibility for the attack.
A volley of Katyusha rockets had landed on al-Balad airbase, located some 80 kilometers north of Baghdad, two day earlier, wounding two Iraqi officers and two airmen.
On January 5, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill demanding the withdrawal.