Rockets launched at US-led coalition base in Syria from Iraq

At least five rockets were fired at a military base of a US-led coalition in Syria from northern Iraq on Sunday (April 21), as per the Iraqi security forces.

After the launch of the rockets, a major search operation was carried out by the Iraqi forces in northern Nineveh province in response to the attack and they discovered the vehicle which was used for the launch of the rockets, said the Iraqi forces in a statement.

This was the first major attack carried out against the coalition forces after many weeks. The attack took place days after Israel reportedly responded to a drone strike by Iran on the Islamic republic, amid the ongoing Gaza war.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The Iraqi security forces, in their statement, accused "outlaw elements of having targetted a base of the international coalition with rockets in the heart of Syrian territory", at around 9:50 pm (1850 GMT).

Also Read:No drones or planes in Iraqi airspace during military base blast, says Iraq

The vehicle, which was found involved in the attack, was burned down by the security forces, added the statement.

Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman said that many rockets were fired "from Iraqi territory at the Kharab al-Jir base" in northeast Syria, where US forces were present.

He blamed the attack on the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is a loose alliance of Iran-backed groups.

The attack took place a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani came back from the United States where he held talks with President Joe Biden at the White House.

Iraqi forces investigate launch of rockets

According to a senior army officer and two security officials, a rocket launcher was found placed on the back of a small truck which was parked in Zummar border town with Syria.

According to military officials, the truck caught fire after the unfired rockets exploded at the same time when warplanes were in the sky.

"We can't confirm that the truck was bombed by USwarplanes unless we investigate it," a military official said.

Watch:Iraq military base explosion: US denies reports of alleged attack in Iraq

The Iraqi Security Medica Cell, which is an official organisation responsible for the dissemination of security information, in a statement, said that Iraqi forces had launched "a wide-ranging search and inspection operation" which targeted the perpetrators close to the Syrian border and pledged to take action against them.

An army officer added that the officials seized the truck for further investigation and initial investigation showed that an air strike destroyed the truck.

"We are communicating with the coalition forces in Iraq to share information on this attack," said the officer.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)