BAGHDAD: Iraqi authorities have arrested five suspects over a recent attack on a military base hosting US troops that wounded seven Americans, officials said Thursday.
The rocket attack Monday was the latest in a series targeting Ain Assad base in recent weeks, which hosts American troops as well as other personnel from the US-led coalition against Daesh.
The Iraqi government’s security media unit said in a statement that after “in-depth investigation and witness statements... five people involved in the illegal act were arrested.”
The statement did not provide further details on the suspects or whether they were affiliated with any groups.
According to a US defense official “five US service members and two US contractors were injured in the attack,” in which two rockets struck the base.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin blamed the attack on “an Iranian-backed Shiite militia group,” but said investigations were ongoing to determine which group.
Such attacks were frequent early in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but had largely halted until recently.
There have also been two other recent attacks targeting Ain Assad base — on July 16 and 25.
Monday’s rocket attack came at a time of already heightened tensions in the Middle East, with the region awaiting an expected counterattack by Iran on Israel following the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.
The rocket attack came after US forces carried out a strike in Iraq last week that a US official said targeted combatants who were attempting to launch drones deemed a threat to American and allied troops.
The strike, which Iraqi sources said left four dead, was the first by American forces in Iraq since February.
Attacks against US troops were much more common in the first few months of the Gaza war, when they were targeted more than 175 times.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of pro-Iran groups, claimed the majority of those attacks, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians.
Iraq says five arrested over attack on US troops
https://arab.news/8a7wx
Iraq says five arrested over attack on US troops
- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin blamed the attack on “an Iranian-backed Shiite militia group,” but said investigations were ongoing to determine which group
UN rights chief slams dangerous ‘tit-for-tat dynamic’ in Mideast war
- Turk deplored the extensive attacks in residential areas, on health facilities, schools, cultural property and water and energy infrastructure
- He stressed that “under the laws of war, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all costs“
GENEVA: The United Nations rights chief voiced alarm Tuesday at the Middle East conflict’s deepening impact on civilians, warning of the dangers of the seeming “tit-for-tat dynamic” between the warring sides.
The United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, prompting waves of Iranian strikes across the Gulf.
With hostilities intensifying, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk deplored the extensive attacks in residential areas, on health facilities, schools, cultural property and water and energy infrastructure.
“This apparent tit-for-tat dynamic, involving essential infrastructure with extremely significant civilian impacts, will only increase risks for civilian populations more broadly, with potentially dire consequences across the entire region,” he warned in a statement.
Turk stressed that “under the laws of war, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all costs.”
“All parties are bound by these rules, and must be held to account if they do not,” he said, warning: “the world is watching.”
The UN rights chief warned that “strikes against vital civilian infrastructure in the Middle East — as well as the widening geographic spread of strikes — are further increasing risks for populations across the region, and beyond.”
He pointed to strikes on a water desalination plant and fuel facilities in Iran over the weekend, igniting fires and reportedly disrupting water access for dozens of villages.
It also prompted warnings of “acid rain” that could cause chemical burns and serious lung damage.
“The foreseeable impacts on civilians and the environment of these strikes raise serious questions as to compliance of these attacks with the requirements of international humanitarian law of proportionality and precaution,” Turk said.
“This warrants careful legal scrutiny.”
He also highlighted the broader impact of the war.
The plunge in commercial shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz was taking a severe toll on access to energy, food and fertilizer across the region and beyond — hitting the world’s most vulnerable people the hardest.
Turk raised concern about reports of detentions, charges and other forms of repression and intimidation against people in a number of countries, in connection with their expression of opinions around the Middle East conflict.
He demanded that all those arbitrarily detained be released immediately and unconditionally.
“States are reminded of their obligation under international human rights law to respect and protect people’s right to freedom of expression — particularly in times of crisis,” he said.
