At least five rockets were launched from Iraq’s town of Zummar towards a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources told Reuters.
The attack against U.S. forces is the first since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped their attacks against U.S. troops.
Two security sources and a senior army officer said a rocket launcher fixed on the back of a small truck had been parked in Zummar border town with Syria.
The military official said the truck caught fire with an explosion from unfired rockets at the same time as warplanes were in the sky.
“We can’t confirm that the truck was bombed by U.S. warplanes unless we investigate it,” said a military official on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident.
This latest attack against U.S. troops comes a day after a military base in Iraq being used by a pro-Iranian militia was damaged in an explosion that killed one and wounded eight.
Tension is extremely high in the Middle East as the Gaza War rages on and a battle between Israel and Iran seems increasingly inevitable.
Following an attack from Israel on Iran’s Consulate in Damascus, Syria earlier this month that killed two Iranian generals, Iran retaliated with a series of strikes on April 13 in Israel that were mostly deflected by its Iron Dome. The US, a major ally of Israel, also helped to shoot down Iranian drone strikes.
Days later on April 19, Israel launched a airstrike against a major airbase and nuclear site in central Iran.
Now, both countries seem to be downplaying their attacks on one another, seeking to avoid a wider conflict in the region.
Israel, though it may want to avert war with Iran, is still going full steam ahead with its operations in Gaza.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk