Iran has fired a reported 12 ballistic Iranian-built missiles at two military air bases housing US troops in Iraq.
Casualties and damage from the incident were being assessed following the attacks.
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As confirmed by Iraq’s military, 22 missiles were launched on the Ain al-Asad base and on another base in the capital Erbil. The Ain al-Asad base houses coalition troops led by the US in the western Anbar province.
Reuters quoted the military as saying in a statement that two of the 17 missiles targeting the Ain al-Asad base did not go off. All five missiles on another base targeted coalition headquarters.
According to one source, early indications were of no US casualties. Other US officials did not make any comments.
Based on information obtained from Iranian television, the attacks have claimed the lives of 80 Americans and damaged US helicopters and military equipment.
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By GlobalDataPentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told the news agency: “As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners, and allies in the region.”
Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the launch of the missile strikes ‘concluded’ Tehran’s response to the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.
Officials in the US said that he was killed over planned attacks on the country’s targets in the region by intelligence forces under his command.
Together with the other foreign forces, over 5,000 US troops remain in Iraq in a coalition training Iraqi forces against the threat of Islamic State militants, Reuters reported.
