Baghdad: Iran has launched more than a dozen missiles at US and coalition military sites in Iraq in retaliation for the killing last week of top general Qassem Suleimani. Al-Asad air base in Iraq’s Anbar province, which hosts a US contingent, was hit at least six times, the US military confirmed. The Pentagon said at least one other base in the northern city of Erbil was targeted in the attack which commenced around 1.30am local time on Wednesday (10.30pm GMT).
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the attacks that Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif characterised as “proportionate measures in self-defence”.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), of which Suleimani was a member, issued a statement saying: “The brave soldiers of IRGC’s aerospace unit have launched a successful attack with tens of ballistic missiles on Al Asad military base in the name of martyr General Qassem Suleimani.”
President Donald Trump responded to the news of Iran’s retaliatory missile strike on two Iraqi air bases with a surprisingly upbeat message: “All is well!”
“All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”
President Donald Trump has been briefed on reports of the attack and was monitoring the situation, White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.
“We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team,”; Grisham said in a statement.
A senior Iranian official said on Tuesday that Tehran was considering several scenarios to avenge Soleimani’s death. Other senior figures have said the Islamic Republic would match the scale of the killing when it responds, but that it would choose the time and place.
More than 5,000 US troops remain in the country along with other foreign forces as part of a coalition that has trained and backed up Iraqi security forces against the threat of Islamic State militants. US officials have said Soleimani was killed because of solid intelligence indicating forces under his command planned attacks on U.S. targets in the region, although they have provided no evidence.
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