2024-01-22T17:42:53+00:00
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/ Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh announced today, Monday, that last Saturday’s attack on Ain al-Assad Air Base in Iraq “was the largest in scope,” while counting the number of attacks on her country’s forces since October 2023.
Iraqi security sources and a US military official told AFP that more than 10 missiles were fired at the base last Saturday.
The spokeswoman said in press statements that the American forces “were exposed on Saturday to a barrage of ballistic missiles” at the base hosting American forces in Anbar Governorate in western Iraq, noting that these forces were exposed to 151 attacks in Iraq and Syria since October 17.
“The militias targeting our forces in Iraq and Syria are getting ballistic missiles from Iran,” Siping said, adding that they are “armed, supported and equipped” by Tehran.
Regarding the Houthi attacks, Singh said: “We have not seen an attack by the Houthis since the 18th of this month. We do not seek to escalate or expand the conflict in the region, but we reserve the right to defend ourselves and respond to any threats.”
On Sunday, the US military said that Iranian-backed factions launched “several ballistic missiles” at the Ain al-Asad base late Saturday, wounding one Iraqi and recording possible injuries among US forces.
The United States said it was taking the attack by Iran-backed militias “very seriously.” “This was a very serious attack, using ballistic missiles that posed a real threat,” White House Deputy National Security Adviser John Finer said Sunday.
Iraqi security sources and a US military official told AFP that more than 10 missiles were fired at the base on Saturday.
A local security official, who requested anonymity, told the agency that several missiles “hit the Ain al-Asad air base,” and that air defenses intercepted 13 missiles while “two fell on the base.”
The New York Times reported on Monday that American officials fear that the increase in attacks targeting American bases could ignite a “wider regional war” across the Middle East.
The latest attack on US forces in the region over the weekend did not result in any deaths, but President Joe Biden and his advisers are “concerned” that it is “only a matter of time” before the increased attacks cause casualties, the newspaper reported.
The newspaper reports that with the increase in the number of strikes targeting American bases in the Middle East, “the risk of casualties increases,” a red line that could lead to a wider war.
The Houthi University, which Washington classifies as “terrorist”, announced on Friday that it had targeted an American ship in the Gulf of Aden, in response to the American and British strikes on its military sites after they attacked ships in the Red Sea region.
While the US military confirmed that the Houthis targeted an American commercial ship on Thursday, it said the attack did not hit its target.