At least five rockets were launched from Iraq’s town of Zummar towards a US military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday (April 21), according to two Iraqi security sources and a US official. This attack against US forces marks the first since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq halted their attacks against US troops. The incident follows Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s return from a visit to the United States, during which he met with President Joe Biden at the White House.
According to Reuters, a Telegram group affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah has said that armed factions of Iraq will continue to attack after a nearly three-month pause, seeing little progress on talks to end the U.S.-led military coalition in the country.
However, another Telegram group close to Kataib Hezbollah, Sabreen News confirmed no official statement by the Iran-backed faction.
“Failed rocket attack” or little-known goal
A US official has reported to Reuters that more than five “failed rocket attack” fell on troops at a coalition base in Rumalyn, Syria, but no official was injured. The officials are yet to know if the attacks failed or had other prospects.
Subsequently, as stated by the official, an aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition operating in Iraq and Syria targeted the launcher. According to two security sources and a senior Iraqi army officer, a small truck equipped with a rocket launcher was stationed in Zummar, a town bordering Syria.
The destroyed truck was confiscated during an ongoing investigation, with initial findings suggesting it was eliminated by an airstrike. The officer mentioned ongoing communication with coalition forces in Iraq to exchange information regarding the attack.
According to a statement from the Iraqi Security Media Cell, Iraqi forces initiated “a wide-ranging search and inspection operation” near the Syrian border to apprehend the culprits, with a commitment to ensuring justice.
These actions followed a significant explosion at an Iraqi military base on Saturday, resulting in the death of a member of an Iraqi security force that includes Iran-backed factions. While the force commander categorized it as an attack, the army stated it was under investigation, clarifying the absence of warplanes in the vicinity at the time.