Two Iraqi security sources revealed on Sunday (April 21) that at least five rockets were fired from the town of Zummar in Iraq towards a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria. This marks the first attack on U.S. forces since early February.
Just the day before, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had wrapped up his visit to the United States and met with President Biden at the White House.
The Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia in Iraq made a statement on Monday alleging little progress in negotiations for the withdrawal of U.S. troops while the Iraqi Prime Minister was in the U.S., prompting them to resume attacks on U.S. military personnel in the Middle East.
“This recent incident is just the beginning,” the group stated.
According to two security sources and a senior Iraqi military official, during the attack, a small truck with a rocket launcher mounted on the back was parked in the town of Zummar near the Syrian border.
The official stated that the truck caught fire due to the unlaunched rockets exploding. At the same time, there were aircraft flying in the sky.
“We cannot confirm whether the truck was destroyed by U.S. aircraft without conducting an investigation,” the official said.
Another source mentioned that the truck has been impounded for further investigation, with preliminary findings suggesting it was destroyed during an air raid.
The official added, “We are in communication with the coalition forces stationed in Iraq, sharing information regarding this attack.”
Iraqi authorities issued a statement, announcing a “wide-scale search and inspection operation” along the Syrian border and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Prior to the attack, a military base housing a pro-Iran armed group in Iraq experienced a significant explosion on Saturday, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries. A commander of the forces described it as an attack.
The Iraqi Air Defense Command clarified that there were no drones or aircraft in the airspace of Babylon province before or during the explosion. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.
(This article references relevant reports from Reuters.)