At least five US personnel injured in rocket attack on Iraq military base

At least five US servicemen were injured in an attack on a military installation in Iraq, according to US sources, as tensions rise following the deaths of prominent Hamas and Hezbollah members last week.

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Two Katyusha rockets were fired toward the Ain al-Assad airfield in western Iraq on Monday, according to two Iraqi security sources who spoke with Reuters. According to an Iraqi source, the missiles crashed inside the base. It was unclear whether the incident was related to Iran’s promises to respond for the execution of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

According to US sources who spoke with Reuters on the condition of anonymity, one of the Americans was critically hurt. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported, citing US defense sources, that up to seven military and civilian persons were injured.

Iraq stated Tuesday that it opposes all “reckless” activities against Iraqi bases, diplomatic missions, and US-led coalition outposts.

US deploys military forces anticipating retaliatory threats

According to a Pentagon read-out, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant concurred during a teleconference on Monday that the incident represented “a dangerous escalation”.

Last week, the US conducted an attack in Iraq against persons whom US authorities described as “militants” preparing to launch drones and posing a danger to US and coalition forces.

The US has been waiting for Iran’s reaction to the execution of Haniyeh in Tehran.

Following the killing, the United States deployed more military personnel to the Middle East in anticipation of retaliation attacks, calling the deployment as “defensive”.

The almost 10-month-old conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has resulted in frequent low-level conflicts between Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, and other regional forces linked with Tehran.

It is commonly assumed that neither side is prepared for an all-out conflict, but the heightened tensions increase the possibility of a conflagration occurring.

Iraq is an unusual ally of both the United States and Iran, with 2,500 US personnel and Iran-backed combat groups allied to its security forces. Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict in October, the country has seen an increase in tit-for-tat attacks.