Baghdad – At least 10 missiles were aimed at a military base in western Iraq that houses about 2,000 US troops on Wednesday, US and Iraqi military officials said. A US defense official told CBS News national security correspondent David Martin that there were no casualties among US forces or coalition forces, but that a civilian contractor died of a heart attack during the missile strike. The contractor’s nationality was not immediately clear.
According to Colonel Wayne Marotto, a spokesman for the US-led military coalition, the missiles hit Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province at 7:20 AM.
The Iraqi military later issued a statement saying that the attack had caused no significant losses and that security forces had found the launch pad used for the missiles. An Iraqi official said it was found in the al-Baghdadi area of Anbar, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to brief the media.
There was no immediate claim to responsibility for the attack, but a similar, large-scale missile strike on the same base a year ago by Iranian-backed militias brought the US to the brink of war with Iran.
Twitter / Mustafa al-Dulaimi
The missile burst on Wednesday was the first attack since the The US hit Iran-affiliated militia targets last week along the Iraq-Syria border, killing a militiamen and fueling fears of a possible repeat of a series of tit-for-tat attacks that escalated last year, culminating in the US-led drone attack that murdered Iranian General Qassim Soleimani outside Baghdad airport.
Wednesday’s attack targeted the same base that hit Iran with a barrage of missiles last January in retaliation for Soleimani’s murder. Dozens of US soldiers were injured and suffered concussions during that attack. Like David Martin reported for “60 minutes”, the attack was the largest ballistic missile attack ever on Americans.
His report for “60 Minutes” gave a first look at the drone video of the attack, and he spoke to a number of US forces there on the night that brought the US and Iran closer than ever to all-out war.
Denmark, which also has troops on the base, condemned the attack, saying that coalition forces are present in Ain al-Asad at the invitation of the Iraqi government to bring stability and security to the country.
“Despicable attacks on Ain al-Asad base in # Iraq are completely unacceptable,” tweeted Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod. Danish forces said two Danes, who were in the camp at the time of the attack, are unharmed.
Wednesday’s attack comes two days before Pope Francis will visit Iraq in a highly anticipated journey that will include Baghdad, southern Iraq and the northern city of Erbil.
Last week’s US attack along the border was in response to a wave of missile strikes targeting the US presence, including one that killed a Philippines coalition contractor outside Irbil airport.
Following that attack, the Pentagon said the attack was a “proportional military response,” taken after consultation with coalition partners.
Marotto said Iraqi security forces were investigating the attack on Ain al-Asad.
US forces in Iraq significantly reduced their presence in the country under the Trump administration last year. The armed forces withdrew from several Iraqis around the country to mainly consolidate in Ain al-Asad and Baghad.
Frequent missile attacks by the Iranian-backed militias operating in Iraqtargeting the heavily fortified Green Zone in which the US embassy is located, frustrated the administration during President Donald Trump’s tenure, leading to threats of embassy closure and escalating strikes.