On Tuesday, rockets were fired at the Victory Base, which houses US-led coalition forces at Baghdad International Airport, according to Iraq’s interior ministry and security sources. The attack involved three rockets, two of which were intercepted by the base’s defense systems, while the third landed near the Counter Terrorism Service Command headquarters.
Security sources confirmed there were no casualties and that air traffic remained unaffected. The interior ministry later reported that one rocket struck the garage of the Counter-Terrorism Service’s second regiment, and the other landed in an abandoned area within the airport.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions following Israeli military actions in Lebanon and ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, militant groups have targeted US bases in Iraq and Syria, reacting to American military support for Israel. The US has conducted airstrikes in retaliation against militia positions in both countries.
Currently, there are approximately 2,500 US troops in Iraq and around 900 in Syria as part of the coalition formed to combat the Islamic State group. Following a joint announcement from Washington and Baghdad, the international coalition is set to conclude its decade-long military mission in Iraq within a year, although the number of remaining American troops has yet to be clarified.
In response to the recent developments, the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee, composed of Iran-aligned armed groups, has demanded a comprehensive withdrawal of US forces with a specified timeline. This attack marks a resurgence in rocket fire targeting coalition bases after a period of relative calm, with previous incidents resulting in injuries to US personnel.
