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| Rocket attack on Iraq base leaves two Americans and one UK soldier dead | Rocket attack on Iraq base leaves two Americans and one UK soldier dead |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| 11 others injured by fusillade of Katyusha rockets; Trump responded to previous attack by killing Iranian general | 11 others injured by fusillade of Katyusha rockets; Trump responded to previous attack by killing Iranian general |
| Two Americans and a British soldier are reported to have been killed and 11 others injured, by a rocket attack on a coalition base in Iraq, according to US defence officials. | Two Americans and a British soldier are reported to have been killed and 11 others injured, by a rocket attack on a coalition base in Iraq, according to US defence officials. |
| Within hours air strikes were reported on an area of the Iraqi-Syrian border used as a base by an Iran-backed militia, raising fears of a fresh round of US-Iranian escalation that brought both countries close to war in January. | |
| Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad, was hit by between 15 and 30 Katyusha rockets on Wednesday evening. The French Press Agency said that three dead were a US soldier, a US contractor and a British soldier. | Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad, was hit by between 15 and 30 Katyusha rockets on Wednesday evening. The French Press Agency said that three dead were a US soldier, a US contractor and a British soldier. |
| Col Myles Caggins, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the counter-terrorism mission in Iraq and Syria, confirmed on Twitter that “more than 15 small rockets impacted Iraq’s Camp Taji base hosting coalition troops, March 11 at 7.35 pm.” | Col Myles Caggins, a spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, the counter-terrorism mission in Iraq and Syria, confirmed on Twitter that “more than 15 small rockets impacted Iraq’s Camp Taji base hosting coalition troops, March 11 at 7.35 pm.” |
| “We can confirm we are aware of an incident involving UK service personnel at Camp Taji, Iraq,” a UK ministry of defence spokesperson said. “An investigation is under way, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.” | “We can confirm we are aware of an incident involving UK service personnel at Camp Taji, Iraq,” a UK ministry of defence spokesperson said. “An investigation is under way, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.” |
| Soon after the Taji attack, air strikes by unidentified warplanes were reported south east of the Syrian town of Albukamal, near the border with Iraq. Iraqi state media reported there was only material damage, with no casualties. Reuters quoted western intelligence sources as pointing out that Albukamal lies on a strategic supply route for Iranian-backed militias who constitute the Iraqi Shia Popular Mobilisation Forces. | |
| The last time an American was killed in a rocket attack on a coalition base, the Trump administration held Iran responsible and the subsequent tit-for-tat escalation led to the US drone assassination of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, Qassem Suleimani, on 3 January, bringing both countries to the brink of war. At the height of the resulting tension, Iranian air defence mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian civilian airliner, killing 176 people. | The last time an American was killed in a rocket attack on a coalition base, the Trump administration held Iran responsible and the subsequent tit-for-tat escalation led to the US drone assassination of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, Qassem Suleimani, on 3 January, bringing both countries to the brink of war. At the height of the resulting tension, Iranian air defence mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian civilian airliner, killing 176 people. |
| There were no immediate claims of responsibility for Wednesday night’s rocket attack. The US administration has repeatedly warned that it would treat an attack by any Iran-backed group in Iraq as a direct attack by Iran itself. | There were no immediate claims of responsibility for Wednesday night’s rocket attack. The US administration has repeatedly warned that it would treat an attack by any Iran-backed group in Iraq as a direct attack by Iran itself. |
| Iran’s immediate response to the Suleimani killing was to launch a volley of missiles at an Iraqi base hosting US soldiers. Since then, Iraq’s parliament has voted to expel foreign soldiers from the country, but the decision has yet to be executed by the government. | Iran’s immediate response to the Suleimani killing was to launch a volley of missiles at an Iraqi base hosting US soldiers. Since then, Iraq’s parliament has voted to expel foreign soldiers from the country, but the decision has yet to be executed by the government. |