US response to attack on Iraq’s Al Asad Air Base ends in enemy casualties

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US forces responded early on Tuesday to an attack on Ain Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, a US defence official told The National, with Central Command saying the operation resulted in “several enemy casualties”.

The official said US forces “responded in self-defence against those who carried out the strike” after an attack resulted in “minor injuries to US personnel and damage to infrastructure”.

While the official declined to give further details about the response, they confirmed it had occurred amid reports of an air strike that struck a pick-up truck belonging to an Iran-backed Shiite militia in Iraq, west of Baghdad.

The vehicle was travelling on a motorway near Baghdad’s western suburb of Abu Ghraib when it was struck about 4.30am, two Iraqi security officials told The National. They did not give more details.

Centcom later confirmed the military action in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying “an AC-130 gunship engaged individuals responsible for launching a missile attack on US and coalition personnel at Al Asad Air Base”.

“The gunship maintained visual confirmation of the individuals from the time of the launch to the time of engagement,” Centcom said of its retaliatory operation.

“This strike resulted in several enemy casualties.”

This is the first US attack inside Iraq since the Israel-Gaza war began, marking a new development.

Previously, the US had only conducted retaliatory air strikes against militia locations in Syria.

It is also the first US attack that was not planned since attacks on personnel in the region began in mid-October, Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.

The US used an aircraft that was already in the air and had eyes on the militants.