Two rockets target coalition troops in Iraq, no casualties

US soldiers clearing rubble at Ain al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. (AFP/File Photo)
Short Url
Updated 30 April 2022
Follow

Two rockets target coalition troops in Iraq, no casualties

  • Rockets and drones frequently target the Ain Al-Asad base
  • The base, controlled by Iraq, is located in the desert in the western Anbar province

FALLUJAH: Two rockets targeting a base in western Iraq hosting US-led coalition troops on Saturday crashed near the complex without causing casualties or damage, security sources said.
“Two rockets fell outside the Iraqi base of Ain Al-Asad,” a security forces statement said, adding there were no “losses.”
The base, controlled by Iraq, is located in the desert in the western Anbar province and hosts foreign troops from the coalition fighting the Daesh group.
A coalition official told AFP there was “no impact on the installation reported” and “no coalition personnel injuries reported.”
A previously unknown group calling itself “International Resistance” claimed the attack on a pro-Iran channel of messaging app Telegram.
Rockets and drones frequently target the Ain Al-Asad base.
On April 8, the coalition said it shot down an armed drone targeting the facility, reporting no casualties or damage.
Dozens of rocket and armed drone attacks have targeted US troops and interests in Iraq in recent months.
Western officials have blamed hard-line pro-Iran factions for the attacks, most of which go unclaimed.
The coalition ended its combat mission in Iraq in December, four years after the Baghdad government declared victory over the jihadists.
But roughly 2,500 American soldiers and 1,000 coalition soldiers remain deployed in three Iraqi-controlled bases across the country, including Ain Al-Asad, to offer training, advice and assistance to national forces.


Syrian army deploys in Deir Ezzor province after Kurdish withdrawal

Updated 2 sec ago
Follow

Syrian army deploys in Deir Ezzor province after Kurdish withdrawal

  • Syria’s army on Monday deployed its forces in parts of the eastern Deir Ezzor province formerly controlled by Kurdish forces following their withdrawal from the area
DEIR EZZOR: Syria’s army on Monday deployed its forces in parts of the eastern Deir Ezzor province formerly controlled by Kurdish forces following their withdrawal from the area.
After two days of rapid gains in Kurdish-controlled territory, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa announced on Sunday a deal with their leader Mazloum Abdi that includes a ceasefire and the integration of the Kurdish administration and forces into the central state.
The government push captured Arab-majority areas that came under Kurdish control during the fight against the Daesh group.
In Deir Ezzor, an AFP correspondent saw dozens of military vehicles heading to the east of the Euphrates river, which once separated Damascus-controlled areas to the west from the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to the east.
Lines of cars, trucks and motorcycles formed in front of a small bridge leading to the eastern bank.
Some people were also heading there on foot.
“Our joy over liberation is indescribable,” Mohammed Khalil, a 50-year-old driver in Deir Ezzor, told AFP.
“We hope things will be better than before. There was... no freedom under the SDF.”
Safia Keddo, a 49-year-old teacher, told AFP “the past few years, but today we must turn the page.”
“We want children to return to school without fear, and for electricity, water, and bread to be restored. We’re not asking for a miracle; we just want stability and a normal life.”
The Syrian army said in a statement that it “started the deployment” into the eastern Jazira region “to secure it under the agreement between the Syrian state and the SDF.”
The agreement calls for the immediate handover of the provinces of the Arab-majority Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces.
The SDF had announced on Sunday that it was withdrawing from areas under its control in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside, including the Al-Omar and Tanak oil fields.
Local fighters from tribes in the Arab-majority province sided with Damascus and took control of these areas before the arrival of government forces.
Some Arab tribes were previously allied with the SDF, which included a significant Arab component in its ranks.
The SDF had taken control of part of Deir Ezzor after defeating the Daesh group with the support of an international coalition led by the United States.