Islam Times - At Least 5 Rockets Landed Near US Air Force Base in Iraq

Islam Times - Iraq’s al-Qayyarah Air Base housing US troops is located some 40 (64 kilometers) miles south of Mosul and 186 miles (299 kilometers) north of Baghdad. There have been no reports about damage or casualties.

According to unconfirmed reports, at least 5 rockets hit late on Friday area near the Iraqi military installation al-Qayyarah.

Earlier this month, Iran launched missiles at the Erbil and Al Asad airbases in Iraq, following a US airstrike that killed on 3 January top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed Iraqi Shia.

The US Department of Defence said earlier that at least 50 American soldiers had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) after the attack. On Thursday, the Pentagon updated its injury toll putting the number of personnel suffering from TBI at 64.

The Iraqi parliament voted to expel coalition forces on 5 January in the wake of the assassination of Soleimani. Baghdad has since started working on a new type of cooperation with the coalition with a view to reducing its activities to consultations, arms deliveries and training as well as limiting its freedom of movement on Iraqi soil.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said earlier that the Pentagon was discussing with Baghdad the possibility of deploying the Patriot air defense system following Iran’s retaliatory strikes on two Iraqi military bases that house US troops.