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A base hosting U.S. troops at Baghdad’s international airport came under rocket fire on Wednesday while indirect fire hit another base hosting U.S. troops in Syria, part of a string of attacks in the days after the anniversary of the death of top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani.
Eight rounds of indirect fire hit the base in Syria run by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, causing minor damage inside the base but no casualties. No damage or casualties were reported from the Iraq attack, military officials said.
A Caspian Airlines plane lands at Baghdad International airport.
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The Wednesday attacks were part of a string of attacks in the region that started Monday, which was the anniversary of the death of Soleimani at the hands of a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. Soleimani was a beloved figure throughout much of Iran, and was the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force before his death. The Quds Force was on the U.S. list of terrorist groups since 2007, and Soleimani, long considered to be Iran's spymaster, commanded the forces that repeatedly attacked and killed U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.
Coalition forces in Syria responded to the attack by firing six rounds of artillery towards a point where intelligence indicated the attack originated, which was just outside of the town of Mayadeen, a known stronghold for Iranian-backed fighters.
Iranian general Qassim Soleimani.
Military officials said "Iran-supported malign actors fired ... from within civilian infrastructure with no regard for civilian safety."
"The Coalition reserves the right to defend itself and partner forces against any threat, and will continue to do everything within its power to protect those forces," Maj. Gen. John W. Brennan, Jr., who commands the task force in Syria, said in a statement.
U.S. Army soldiers prepare to go out on patrol from a remote combat outpost on May 25, 2021, in northeastern Syria. (John Moore/Getty Images)
The Iraq attack came two days after two armed drones bound for a base hosting U.S. troops were shot down Monday, with another two armed drones destroyed on Tuesday.
Though the U.S. formally ended its combat mission against ISIS in Iraq, a force of 2,500 troops remains in the country to advise the Iraqi military. Pro-Iran Shiite groups have vowed to continue attacks on U.S. forces until they completely leave the country in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Soleimani.
