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US Military Base in Iraq comes under Missile attack

US Military Base in Iraq comes under Missile attack

A missile attack on Monday targeted a base housing American forces in Anbarprovince in western Iraq, the US-led anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition said in astatement.

“At 1335 local time, Ain Al-Asad Air Base (AAAB) was attacked by one rocketround,” the coalition’s official military spokesman, Col. Wayne Marotto,said in a Twitter post.

He said no injuries were reported while damage was “being assessed.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Marotto said investigations to uncover the perpetrators are underway,adding that the attack “undermines the authority of Iraqi institutions, therule of law and Iraqi national sovereignty.”

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said in a brief statement thatKatyusha rockets struck the vicinity of the Ain Al-Asad Air Base “without[causing] any significant losses”.

Earlier this month, a booby-trapped drone attack targeted the same base,without causing any casualties or material damage.

Ain Al-Asad base is located in the Al-Baghdadi district, 90 km west ofRamadi, the capital of Anbar province. It is the largest military base forUS forces in Iraq and was visited by former President Donald Trump on Dec.26, 2018.

Over the past months, military bases housing US forces in Iraq have beentargeted with missile attacks and Washington has often accused armedfactions loyal to Iran of being responsible.

Currently, there are around 3,000 troops, including 2,500 US forces,fighting in the anti-Daesh/ISIS coalition.

Iraqi political forces have called for the withdrawal of the US troops fromthe country under a parliamentary decision issued on Jan. 5, 2020.

On April 7, Baghdad announced the formation of a technical committee toassume the task of approving the timing and mechanisms related to the UStroop withdrawal, while no announcement was made from the American sideabout naming a committee for this purpose.