US-occupied Iraqi base struck by three rockets: Reports

Iraq’s Taji military base, which is occupied by American forces, has been attacked by at least three Katyusha rockets, the Iraqi military said.

No casualties have been reported yet, but there have been material damages, a Monday statement by the Iraqi military said.

The so-called US-led coalition has also issued a statement confirming that three Katyusha rockets have struck the Iraqi base.

The statement said the attacks have damaged an Iraqi army helicopter, but there were no coalition casualties.

The coalition statement said the rockets fell on areas where Iraqi military forces were located in the base.

Camp Speicher hit by twin blasts

The Tikrit Air Academy in Iraq’s Saladin province, which used to be known as Camp Speicher when occupied by US forces, was also hit by two explosions on Monday evening.

According to a statement by the Iraqi army, the fire created by the twin blasts have been contained, and there were no casualties.

Dozens of rocket and mortar attacks have hit bases occupied by coalition forces and landed near the US embassy in Baghdad in recent months. 

In the most recent case, a US military convoy carrying logistic supplies was attacked in Iraq on the road between Samawah and Diwaniyah, south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

At least three vehicles of the convoy were reportedly destroyed or damaged in the attack which occurred on July 11, 2020. The videos and images released of the incident suggest that the vehicles caught fire following the attack. 

Anti-US sentiments have been running high in Iraq since Washington assassinated top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and the second-in-command of the Iraqi popular mobilization units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in January.

Following the attack, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill on January 5, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign troops.

Baghdad and Washington are currently in talks over the withdrawal of American troops. 

Iraqi resistance groups have vowed to take up arms against US forces if Washington fails to comply with the parliamentary order.

The US says it is going to withdraw its forces from Iraq slowly and partially, but Iraqi lawmakers have urged an immediate and full withdrawal.

On Saturday, the US-led military coalition, purportedly formed to fight the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, officially handed over the Besmaya Range Complex south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad to the country’s security forces.

The base was the “seventh site” handed over this year to Iraqi security forces, Major General Gerald Strickland, the Deputy Commander-Strategy of CJTF-OIR, said in a press release on Saturday.