Rockets Land Near Military Base With US Troops in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, Reports Say
According to local media reports, Patriot anti-missile air defence systems have thwarted the rockets, one of which fell near the headquarters of an opposition party, and another one landed in one of the local villages.
At least three rockets have landed near the US military base in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdistan Region, Al-Sumaria News reported on Wednesday.
The attack was repelled by Patriot air defence systems, it added.
Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto said in a statement that rocket fire did not strike the Coalition base in Iraq's Erbil and there are no casualties or damage to report.
The alleged footage from the scene has emerged on social media, with some claiming at least six rockets have been launched.
#BREAKING
— Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) September 30, 2020
Rockets slammed into an area close to a base hosting U.S. forces near the Erbil Int'l Airport located in northern #Iraq.
Sec. Pompeo had warned Baghdad of attacks by #Iran-backed militias.
Video footage of impact site.pic.twitter.com/SZSDDDUt7T
Reuters reported, citing Iraqi Kurdistan's counterterrorism service, that Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups fired six rockets towards Coalition forces in Erbil International Airport. The report said four rockets hit near the edge of the airport facility and two did not explode.
On Tuesday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said that a number of countries, including the United States, are officially considering the closure of its foreign missions in Baghdad if rocket attacks continue.
Prior to that, the Wall Street Journal also reported that the US was planning to close its embassy in Baghdad within the next few months due to its potentially dangerous location.
At the same time, the United States will retain its consulate in Erbil.
The Green Zone in central Baghdad, where foreign diplomatic missions are located, has been a target for numerous rocket attacks recently. The Zone is also not far from the Baghdad International Airport, adjacent to a military airfield.
In a bid to curb the attacks, Prime Minister Al-Kadhimi ordered the creation of special committees in mid-June.
- Source : Sputniknews.com
