Rockets hit military complex near Baghdad airport used by US troops
Three rockets struck a military complex near Baghdad International Airport used to house US forces and diplomats, Iraq's military said.
An Iraqi security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there were no reported causalities or damages in Wednesday's attack and no immediate claim of responsibility.
According to the official, one of the rockets struck close to Iraqi forces at the military airport, another near Camp Cropper, which was at one point an American detention facility, and the last near a facility where US forces are stationed.
Another security source told AFP news agency that the target was "the headquarters of the counter-terrorism service, where American troops are based".
Iraqi security forces later discovered a launching pad for the rockets in al-Barkiya, an area west of the capital Baghdad.
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The strike marks the first attack in weeks against US military installations in Iraq.
The US has blamed a series of rocket attacks near or on bases hosting its troops on Iran-aligned groups, despite those groups not having claimed responsibility.
In January, the US, following orders from the White House, carried out a drone strike in Iraq that killed Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani, and powerful Iraqi commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, just outside the Baghdad airport.
Iran responded to the assassinations by launching a barrage of missiles at US troops stationed in west Iraq and has since vowed to oust all American forces from the Middle East.
Since mid-March the US-led coalition has withdrawn from several bases across Iraq in a planned drawdown.
The coalition transferred four bases to the Iraqi security forces as it consolidated its resources into a smaller number of key locations.
Wednesday's attack came hours before Iraq's parliament was to vote on a new government proposed by the latest prime minister-in-waiting, Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
The country has been without a prime minister since November, when Adel Abdul Mahdi resigned amid anti-government protests.
Since then, the country has been forced to confront the coronavirus pandemic, a looming economic crisis and increased security threats – including the standoff between Washington and Tehran, as well as a resurgent Islamic State (IS) group – without a sitting government.
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