Rocket hits Iraq base hosting US troops: security sources

KIRKUK: A rocket slammed into an Iraqi base where American troops are stationed in the remote province of Kirkuk, Iraqi and US security sources told AFP on Thursday night.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

According to three separate Iraqi security sources, the Katyusha rocket hit the K1 base at around 8:45pm local time (1745 GMT) and US military aircraft immediately began flying low over the area.

It was the first attack on the base since December 27, when a volley of around 30 rockets killed a US contractor there and unleashed a dramatic escalation.

The most significant was Iran’s response to Soleimani’s killing, when Tehran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles at the sprawling Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq on January 8.

The troops reportedly had prior warning and none were killed, but more than 100 have since been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.