US civilian contractor killed in Iraq base rocket attack: officials
- By Reuters -
- Dec 28, 2019
KIRKUK, IRAQ: A US civilian contractor was killed in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk on Friday, US officials said.
Several US service members and Iraq personnel were also wounded, the US-led coalition fighting IS said in a statement, adding that Iraqi security forces would be leading the response and investigation into the incident.
US officials said, on condition of anonymity, that the service members were lightly wounded and believed to be back on duty.
The Iraqi military said in a statement earlier on Friday that several rockets were launched into Iraq’s K1 military base, which houses US and Iraqi forces.
Security sources said security forces found a launchpad for Katyusha rockets inside an abandoned vehicle near the base. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Militants operating in the area have turned to insurgency-style tactics aimed at bringing down the government in Baghdad ever since it retook all territory and declared victory against them in December 2017.
The K1 base, which lies 15 km (9 miles) northwest of Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, houses US military forces alongside Iraqi forces from the Federal Police and Counter-Terrorism Service, security sources said.
About 5,000 US troops are in Iraq.