US personnel injured in attack on airbase in Iraq

A 2011 photo of a pilot sitting in a US F16 jet fighter at the Al Asad airbase in Iraq

Several US personnel have been injured after a suspected rocket attack on an American military base in Iraq, US officials have said.

The attack comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Middle East was at a critical moment following the killings of senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Officials told the BBC’s partner CBS News that the Al Asad airbase in western Iraq was attacked and that they are still assessing the damage.

They have not yet said who was behind the attack.

Security sources told CBS that two Katyusha rockets were fired at the base, and that one had fallen inside the base.

“We can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against US and Coalition forces at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq,” said a Department of Defence spokesperson.

“Initial indications are that several US personnel were injured. Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment,” the spokesperson added.

It is unclear how many US personnel were injured. A senior US military official said no critical injuries, such as a loss of limbs, have been reported at this time, and no service members were killed.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the suspected attack, a White House official said.

In a statement on X, Mr Biden said he and vice-president Kamala Harris were briefed in the Situation Room on "developments on the Middle East."

"We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again," the president said.

"We also discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing."

The attack comes after the US carried out a strike in Iraq last week that was described as an act of self-defence against militants who officials said were preparing to launch drones against US and coalition forces in the region.

Tensions have been escalating following the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran last Wednesday by a blast at his guesthouse.

Iran’s revolutionary guard (IRGC) has accused Israel of killing Haniyeh and said it was supported by the US. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's death.

Also last week, Israel said it killed a top Hezbollah commander in an air strike on a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital.

Both Iran and Hezbollah have threatened to retaliate against Israel for the killings.

The Al Asad base was attacked in January this year by Iranian-backed militias, who launched ballistic missiles and rockets - most of which were intercepted, US Central Command said at the time.

A number of US personnel were assessed for traumatic brain injuries after the attack, while at least one Iraqi service member was wounded.

The airbase has been used by the US since 2004, following the invasion of Iraq, and has been visited by former US presidents George W Bush and later Donald Trump.