Iraq

Iraqi forces search the area in Tarmiyah, 35 kilometres (20 miles) north of Baghdad on February 20, 2021, following clashes with Islamic State group fighters. Iraqi security forces clashed with the Islamic State group north of Baghdad, leaving at least five jihadists and two security personnel dead. A joint force of army troops and state-sponsored tribal fighters raided an IS hideout in the leafy plains of Tarmiyah, according to a statement from the military. / AFP / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE
In this file photo taken before the attack, Iraqi forces patrol the town of Tarmiyah, near Balad Air Base. AFP

Rocket attack targets Iraqi base housing US contractors

No casualties have yet been reported at the base, which hosts Iraq's F-16 jet fleet, but at least two rockets landed in a nearby village

Robert Tollast
Robert Tollast

March 16, 2021

At least seven unguided rockets were fired at Balad airbase, north of Baghdad, which houses US contractors.

The attack was reported by Sabreen news, an Iraqi news source sympathetic to Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The attack reportedly occurred at 11pm local time.

Iraqi security forces later confirmed the attack on their official twitter account, saying that two rockets had fallen outside of the base perimeter, blasting a hole in the roof of a nearby house.

This is a developing story with more updates to follow...

Iraq