Merlin Base in Iraq By. NASSER NASSER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iran has fired multiple missiles at two U.S. bases in Iraq where U.S. troops are stationed, the Iran government has confirmed. The U.S. military also confirmed the attack, which Iran vowed following the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani by the U.S., leader of the foreign wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was considered the second most powerful man in Iran.
"This morning, courageous fighters of the IRGC's Air Force launched a successful operation called Operation Martyr Soleimani, with the code 'Oh Zahra' by firing tens of ground-to-ground missiles at the base of the terrorist and invasive U.S. forces named Ain Al Asad," the country's state-run news outlet ISNA reported.
Iran also said that the "fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards has begun." More than a dozen ballistic missiles were fired against U.S. military and coalition forces in Asad and Erbil, the U.S. Military said, while Iran said over 30 ballistic missiles were fired at the American base at Asad, in Anbar Province, in western Iraq.
The White House said it was aware of the reports.
"We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq," according to a statement from White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. "The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team."
The initial U.S. report did not include any casualties or damages.
“We are working on initial battle damage assessments,” a Pentagon statement said
Iraq’s Joint Military Command said seven rockets had hit the base. Iranian officials said the attack began at 1:20 a.m., the time that General Soleimani was killed by an American drone at the Baghdad airport on Friday, according to the New York Times.
This is a developing story...
