U.S. troops stationed at an Iraqi airbase were able to scramble to safety and take cover in bunkers after getting early warnings of the barrage of ballistic missiles Iran launched.
Iran targeted the U.S. late Tuesday by firing more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops.
The Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq, which Trump visited in December 2018, and the Erbil base in Iraqi Kurdistan were the two bases targeted in the attacks.
A military official has revealed the U.S. had early warnings of the missile launches and were able to the sound the alarms at at least one of the two targeted bases.
Iran targeted the U.S. late Tuesday by firing more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops
Those in harm’s way were able to scramble to safety and hide in bunkers during the attack, the official told USA Today.
U.S. troops at the base had been practicing safety drills for some time.
A U.S. official said there were no immediate reports of American casualties although buildings were still being searched.
President Donald Trump tweeted that ‘all is well’ and ‘so far so good’ as the damage and casualties continued to be assessed.
Ain al-Asad air base was first used by American forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
It houses about 1,500 U.S. and coalition forces.
The Ain al-Asad airbase in western Iraq and the Erbil base in Iraqi Kurdistan were both struck by the missiles on Tuesday at about 5.30pm (EST)
The al-Asad base for American and coalition troops (pictured above in December) was struck by missiles ‘clearly launched from Iran’, U.S. officials say
The Erbil base in Iraqi Kurdistan, which provides facilities and services to at least hundreds of coalition personnel and CIA operatives, was also hit in the missile attack
About 70 Norwegian troops also were on the air base but no injuries were reported, Brynjar Stordal, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces said.
The rockets used in the attack, according to Iranian TV, were Fatteh-110 ballistic missiles, which have a range of 186 miles or 300km.
The Pentagon had earlier said the missiles were ‘clearly launched from Iran’ to target U.S. military and coalition forces.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards admitted to firing the rockets in retaliation for last week’s killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
They reported the operation’s name was ‘Martyr Soleimani’ and it took place just hours after the slain general’s funeral.
Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif called the attacks ‘self-defense’ but said they did ‘not seek escalation’ but would defend itself against further aggression.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, reportedly said Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei was personally in the control center coordinating the attacks.
In the immediate aftermath, they warned U.S. allies in the Middle East that they would face retaliation if America strikes back against any Iranian targets from their bases.
President Trump and First Lady Melania visited the al-Asad airbase in western Iraq in December 2018. The airbase was targeted by Iran on Tuesday in a missile attack
‘We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,’ they said. It also threatened Israel.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said after the attacks that the missile strikes were an ‘act of war’ and said Trump had all the power he needed to act.
‘This is an act of war by any reasonable definition,’ Graham told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
‘The President has all the authority he needs under Article II to respond.’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted that the U.S., as well as the rest of the world, ‘cannot afford war’.
‘Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. We must ensure the safety of our servicemembers, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war,’ she tweeted.
The missiles strikes prompted the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to ban U.S. carriers from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, the Gulf of Oman and the waters between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
That decision came just hours before a Ukrainian passenger plane bound for Kiev fell from the sky just outside of Tehran – sparking speculation it was shot down, killing all 170 passengers on board.