5 rockets fired from Iraq towards US military base in Syria

At least five rockets were fired from the Iraqi city of Jummar on Sunday toward a US military base in northeastern Syria.They said that Reuters Two Iraqi security sources.

It was the first attack on U.S. forces since pro-Iranian groups halted attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq in early February.

The attack came a day after the attack on the Iraqi Prime Minister. Muhammad Shia al-SudaniHe will return from a visit to the US and meet President Joe Biden at the White House.

Two security sources and a senior military official said a rocket launcher mounted on the back of a small truck was stationed in the border town. Zoomer with Syria.

A military official said the truck caught fire when unfired rockets exploded as fighter jets flew overhead.

“Until we investigate, we cannot confirm that the truck was bombed by US warplanes,” a military official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident.

Iraqi security forces were dispatched to the area and are searching for the criminals who fled the area using another vehicle, a security official from Jummar said.

An Army official said the truck has been seized for further investigations. And preliminary investigations show that it was destroyed by an airstrike.

“We are in contact with coalition forces in Iraq to share information about this attack,” the official added.

A member of the Iraqi security forces, which includes pro-Iranian groups, was killed a day after a large explosion at a military base in Iraq early Saturday morning. The army chief said it was an attack and the army was investigating and there were no fighter jets in the air at the time.

Iraqi officials said on Saturday One person died and eight were injured A explodedPresumably due to A Air attackIn Popular Multitude military base of the influential pro-Iranian Shiite groupWith the presence of the Arab country's army located north of Baghdad.

A spokesman for the Iraqi Army and Police's Security Division explained in a statement, “The explosion at the Kalsu site at 1.00 local time on Saturday (11.00 GMT) caused several fires. And One member of the crowd was killed and eight others injuredIncluding a soldier.”

He pointed out A collective basis It houses the military and police headquarters and the popular Multitude militia in Babylon Governorate, located 80 kilometers southeast of the Iraqi capital.

The official statement did not confirm or deny reports from Iraqi security sources who confirmed yesterday morning that it was an attack.Unknown flights“, and highlighted it”A special high-tech committee (…) was formed to determine the causes Explosion and Fire” at base.

(With information from Reuters)