US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is “outraged” by a rocket attack on Monday in the Iraqi Kurdistan region that reportedly killed a civilian contractor and injured several others, including a US service member and several American contractors.
The United States is outraged by the rocket attacks on the Iraqi Kurdistan region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Sources in Iraqi Kurdistan said, at least three rockets landed near the capital, Erbil International Airport in the autonomous region late at night.
The reporters for Reuters heard several loud explosions and saw a blaze of fire near the airport, US troops occupy a military base adjacent to the civilian airport, according to Reuters.
In the rocket Attacks, several American contractors including one US service member were injured and one American contractor was reported dead.
Saraya Awliya al-Dam a Shiite insurgent group operating in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack on the US-led Base, the group said it has targeted “American occupation” in Iraq but provided no evidence for its claim, Reuters reported.
According to Iraqi officials, many groups linked with Iran claimed the responsibility for series of roadside and rocket attacks on coalition forces, US contractors, and American facilities including the US embassy in Baghdad.
The last deadly attack on the US coalition occurred in March of last year in which one British and two Americans were killed.
This was the most deadly attack to hit US-led forces for almost after a year in Iraq, where tensions have escalated US forces, Iraqi and Kurdish allies on one side and on the other Iranian backed militias, tensions between the US and Iran place the Middle East on edge of full-scale confrontation following the death of Iranian military general, Qassem Soleimani.
“I have reached out to Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to discuss the incident and to pledge our support for all efforts to investigate and hold accountable those responsible,” Reuters quoted Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
