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Several US personnel have been injured after a suspected rocket attack on an American military base in Iraq, US officials have said.<\/p>\n
The attack comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Middle East was at a critical moment following the killings of senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.<\/p>\n
Officials told the BBC\u2019s partner CBS News that the Al Asad airbase in western Iraq was attacked and that they are still assessing the damage.<\/p>\n
They have not yet said who was behind the attack.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Security sources told CBS that two Katyusha rockets were fired at the base, and that one had fallen inside the base.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can confirm that there was a suspected rocket attack today against US and Coalition forces at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq,\u201d said a Department of Defence spokesperson.<\/p>\n
\u201cInitial indications are that several US personnel were injured. Base personnel are conducting a post-attack damage assessment,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n
It is unclear how many US personnel were injured. A senior US military official said no critical injuries, such as a loss of limbs, have been reported at this time, and no service members were killed.<\/p>\n
President Joe Biden was briefed on the suspected attack, a White House official said.<\/p>\n
In a statement on X, Mr Biden said he and vice-president Kamala Harris were briefed in the Situation Room on “developments on the Middle East.” <\/p>\n
“We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again,” the president said.<\/p>\n
“We also discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing.”<\/p>\n
The attack comes after the US carried out a strike in Iraq last week that was described as an act of self-defence against militants who officials said were preparing to launch drones against US and coalition forces in the region.<\/p>\n
Tensions have been escalating following the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran last Wednesday by a blast at his guesthouse.<\/p>\n
Iran\u2019s revolutionary guard (IRGC) has accused Israel of killing Haniyeh and said it was supported by the US. Israel has not commented on Haniyeh’s death.<\/p>\n
Also last week, Israel said it killed a top Hezbollah commander in an air strike on a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n
Both Iran and Hezbollah have threatened to retaliate against Israel for the killings.<\/p>\n
The Al Asad base was attacked in January this year by Iranian-backed militias, who launched ballistic missiles and rockets – most of which were intercepted, US Central Command said at the time.<\/p>\n
A number of US personnel were assessed for traumatic brain injuries after the attack, while at least one Iraqi service member was wounded.<\/p>\n
The airbase has been used by the US since 2004, following the invasion of Iraq, and has been visited by former US presidents George W Bush and later Donald Trump. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n