Several US personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack Monday against US and coalition forces at Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, a US defense official said.
“We can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against US and Coalition forces at Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq,” the official said. “Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured. Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment.”
The US Defense Department late Monday blamed Iran-aligned militia groups for the attack, calling it a “dangerous escalation.”
A Pentagon readout of a call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the two men “agreed that today’s Iran-aligned militia attack on U.S. forces stationed at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq marked a dangerous escalation and demonstrated Iran’s destabilizing role in the region.”
Austin reiterated to Gallant “unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel’s security in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iran-aligned militia groups,” according to the readout.
The attack comes amid extremely high tensions in the Middle East, as the US has been