Rockets Hit Iraqi Military Base Hosting US Contractors, Security Officials Say
At least seven rockets struck Iraq’s military airbase where US contractors will be housed on Monday in Balad, northern Baghdad. Iraqi security officials said that there were no known victims. The Iraqi military said that two more missiles dropped outside the airbase of Balad, 80 kilometers from the city, causing house harm. No group took responsibility for that attack immediately. But in the past armed groups supported by Iran by some Iraqi officials have claimed similar attacks. Sabreen news, an online news service has announced the attack at 11:00 local time.
Iraqi security forces later tweeted pictures of a nearby house destroyed by a missile on an official account. Balad airbase houses contractors for Sallyport Global, a United States defense corporation. The Iraqi Air Force is assisting with a long-term deal to maintain the flotilla of 36 F-16 fighter jets in Iraq. However, this did not prevent the assault on the site by the Iranian military which allegedly connects to the Iraqi government. The Iran-supported militias belong to a group umbrella organization. While some were established in Iran in the 1980s and invaded the US and British forces.
The Iraqi F-16s cost at least 4 billion dollars to the army:
Some PMF parties are related to Iraqi political parliaments and have a degree of security in Iraq. But this political dispute has led to the creation of the latest Shiite militias that target coalition forces that have joined groups in Iran. Many observers claimed new groups due to intermittent attacks in Balad. US contractors evacuated during the tensions on many occasions.
This included the assassination in a US drone attack at Baghdad International Airport. In January 2020, Qassem Suleimani the commander of Quds Force Islamic revolutionary guard corps. Moreover, attacks on Balad would make it harder for the US and Iraq to maintain the aircraft in service. The Iraqi F-16s cost at least 4 billion dollars to the army, including repairs, ground crew, and pilot training. An anonymous Iraqi official told the National about the growing rivalry in Iraq between the US and Iran. Unfortunately, the Baghdad management has revealed that Tehran and Washington can do whatever they want.
