In a concerning escalation, at least five rockets were fired from the Iraqi town of Zummar towards a US military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, according to two Iraqi security sources briefed by Reuters. This marks the first direct attack against US forces since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq had ceased their assaults on US troops.
The timing of the attack is particularly noteworthy as it follows Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s return from a visit to the United States, where he held talks with President Joe Biden at the White House.
According to two security sources and a senior army officer, a rocket launcher mounted on the back of a small truck was identified in Zummar, near the Syrian border. The truck reportedly caught fire, triggering an explosion from the unfired rockets, coinciding with the presence of warplanes in the sky.
Anonymously speaking due to the sensitivity of the incident, a military official stated, “We can’t confirm that the truck was bombed by US warplanes unless we investigate it.” Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces have initiated a search operation to apprehend the perpetrators who fled the scene using another vehicle.
The Iraqi Security Media Cell, responsible for disseminating security information, announced that Iraqi forces have launched a comprehensive search and inspection operation near the Syrian border, vowing to bring the assailants to justice.
An army officer disclosed that the truck has been confiscated for further investigation, with preliminary findings suggesting it was destroyed by an airstrike. “We are communicating with the coalition forces in Iraq to share information on this attack,” the officer added.
This attack follows a significant explosion at an Iraqi military base on Saturday, which claimed the life of a member of the Iraqi security force comprising Iran-backed groups. While the force commander labeled it as an attack, the army is currently investigating the incident, denying the presence of warplanes in the vicinity during the time of the explosion.
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