On August 5th at around 2 p.m. ET, two rockets struck Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, injuring five U.S. servicemembers and two contractors, according to an official source. The injured personnel are currently being treated at the base, while two have been evacuated for additional medical care. Fortunately, all seven individuals are reported to be in stable condition, and assessments following the incident are still underway, with more updates expected soon.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. This incident follows recent threats of retaliation from Iraqi militias after U.S. airstrikes conducted just days prior. The Pentagon asserted these strikes were aimed at thwarting a possible imminent drone attack.
The Iraqi Armed Forces, along with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—which includes several factions that have previously targeted U.S. troops—have decried the American airstrikes as illegal aggression and a violation of military terms in Iraq.
These airstrikes have intensified calls from the PMF and various militia groups, including the Nujaba Movement, demanding the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. This fervor is heightened by the recent assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, chief of Hamas’s Political Bureau, in Tehran around the same time as the strikes.
STAFF SERGEANT BRUCE DADDIS/U.S. Army National Guard
Haniyeh’s assassination is largely attributed to Israel, though the nation has neither confirmed nor denied involvement. This event occurred just after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) reported the killing of a high-ranking Hezbollah military official in Beirut.
In response to these escalating tensions, Iran and its allies—identified as the Axis of Resistance, which includes Hezbollah, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, and Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi movement)—have pledged to retaliate against Israel.
This situation is evolving, and further information will be provided as it emerges.