At least five U.S. military personnel were wounded in a rocket attack on an airbase in western Iraq on Monday, anonymous U.S. officials told Reuters, as tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate and the region is braced for a possible Iranian retaliation for Israel killing a Hamas leader on Iranian soil last week.
Two Katyusha rockets targeted Al Asad airbase in western Iraq, and one of them fell inside the base, an Iraqi security source told Reuters.
One of the wounded U.S. personnel is in serious condition, the U.S. officials told the news agency.
"We can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against US and Coalition forces at Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq," a U.S. defense official told CNN on Tuesday.
"Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured. Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment," the official added.
Late on Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a statement saying that "Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant to reiterate unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel's security in the face of threats from Iran, Lebanese Hizballah, and other Iran-aligned militia groups."
The U.S. blamed Iran-aligned militia in Iraq for the rocket attack on the airbase.
"Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant agreed that today's Iran-aligned militia attack on U.S. forces stationed at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq marked a dangerous escalation and demonstrated Iran's destabilizing role in the region," the Department of Defense said.
The escalation of tensions in the Middle East sparked concerns of a direct Israel-Iran conflict and boosted oil prices early last week, before a weak U.S. jobs report shifted the market focus onto a possible recession.
Iran has vowed to retaliate for the suspected Israeli assassination of the Hamas political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and fears of an imminent Iranian attack on Israel are growing.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More