News RMS: Oct 20, Anbar, Iraq
Thursday saw a pretty tense day in Iraq with drones and rockets buzzing in the air, aimed at two military bases that played host to U.S. troops. Got that bit of news from some folks in the know and those working the red tape. This was another notch in a timeline of similar attacks, unfolding just hours after militants in Iraq sent a stark message to Washington – stay out of Israel’s spat with Hamas in Gaza.
Now, imagine this: you’re at Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq. This place isn’t a casual weekend getaway. Instead, it’s full to the brim with U.S. and other international forces. Suddenly, the droning sound isn’t just the habitual hum of engines but actual drones. And there in the sky: rockets. Multiple explosions reverberate through the air, the cacophony rattling the base down to its foundation. This is what our two security sources said was the experience on Thursday.
Curious about the frequency of such an ordeal? Just run back the clock 24 hours and you’d find four such incidents. Each time, the targets were the same – the military bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops.
Let’s rewind a bit to last week. Armed groups in Iraq sympathetic to Iran sent a dire threat to the U.S.: stick your nose in the Israel and Hamas brouhaha, and we’ll send missiles and drones down your way. The whole mess in Gaza, triggered by the deadly inroads by Hamas militants which resulted in an appalling body count of 1,400, served as the fuse to this threat.
Wednesday, just a day before the latest spate of attacks, saw U.S. military forces at the receiving end of yet another pair of drone assaults. One of the sneaky devils did manage to nick a few troops with minor injuries, although most were kept away by the U.S. military’s interception efforts.
In response to the attacks, the Iraqi military sprang into action, cordoning off areas around the base and launching a manhunt. As of now, the picture on the ground is hazy, with no confirmed reports of casualties or severe damage.
Thursday’s fireworks weren’t limited to Ain al-Asad though. Another military base near Baghdad’s international airport, also guest-listing U.S. forces, took a couple of hits. But, the Iraqi police held back on releasing more details.
An anonymous U.S. official filled us in on a couple more pieces to the puzzle. Apparently, two rockets came visiting the U.S. forces at the aforementioned airport. Caught one of them mid-air, but the other one smacked into an empty storage space. Thankfully, no one was harmed in this episode, the official mentioned candidly.
