The US Embassy in Iraq said Wednesday that a rocket attack near the Baghdad airport that occurred Tuesday night targeted a US diplomatic facility.
“At approximately 23:00 on Tuesday, September 10, there was an attack at the Baghdad Diplomatic Services Compound, a US diplomatic facility,” the US Embassy said. “Fortunately, there are no reported casualties, and we are assessing the damage and its cause. Our assessment is ongoing.”
Iraqi security sources previously told Reuters that two rockets fell around 11 pm local time on Tuesday near US troops stationed at Camp Victory, a base in the area surrounding the Baghdad airport.
So far, no one has taken credit for the attack. Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shia militia that’s been involved in previous operations against the US, condemned the attack, saying it was meant to disrupt a visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who arrived in Iraq on Wednesday.
Kataib Hezbollah called for an investigation to find out who was responsible. An Iraqi source told AFP that the attack was carried out with two Katyusha rockets.
“One fell on the wall of the Iraqi anti-terrorist forces compound. The second was inside the base hosting the international anti-jihadist coalition led by Washington,” the source said.
The attack occurred a few hours before the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. During the debate, Harris falsely claimed that no US troops are currently deployed in combat zones, but several American soldiers have been wounded in recent attacks and raids in Iraq.
