Rockets again target US forces at Taji, Iraq

Iran’s Tasnim was one of the first to report the incident, claiming that it coincided with US air activity over Baghdad.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iraqi security forces wait for vehicles travelling to Mosul to fight against militants of Islamic State at an Iraqi army base in Camp Taji in Baghdad, Iraq February 21, 2016. (photo credit: AHMED SAAD/REUTERS)
Iraqi security forces wait for vehicles travelling to Mosul to fight against militants of Islamic State at an Iraqi army base in Camp Taji in Baghdad, Iraq February 21, 2016.
(photo credit: AHMED SAAD/REUTERS)
Rocket launchers that were hidden in a building targeted US-led Coalition forces at Camp Taji in Iraq north of Baghdad on Saturday. Reports around 11:30 am said that between 12 and 14 rockets, perhaps more, had landed near areas where US forces are known to be and near a runaway. Local Iraqis reports that Iraqi airmen were in the area when the rocket fell.
Iran’s Tasnim was one of the first to report the incident, claiming that it coincided with US air activity over Baghdad. Locals filmed the sound of explosions in the distance. Iran’s Fars News also reported the attack, noting that up to 15 rockets were fired and rocket launchers were found after.
According to reports several US forces and Iraqi forces were wounded in the attack. Iraqi security forces have called for the US to refrain from retaliating and there are renewed called for Iraq’s parliament to debate asking the US to withdraw from Iraq.
The spokesman for the US-led Coalition, confirmed there a total of 25 rockets of the 107mm size were fired at the base and that three members of the Coaliton were wounded. An assessment and investigation is ongoing. An additional 24 rockets they were prepared to be fired were found and defused by Iraqi security forces. The 107mm rocket is the same as ones used in previous attacks by pro-Iranian groups on US forces.
Photos show the rocket launchers are a unique format and they were hidden in a building to be used in the rare daylight attack. This is the second attack in a week. On March 11 a rocket attack at night killed three Coalition personal, two Americans and one Briton. The US responded with air strikes on five locations south of Baghdad associated with the pro-Iranian Kataib Hezbollah.
Kataib Hezbollah is the same group that carried out a December attack that killed a US contractor near Kirkuk. They have been involved in dozens of rocket attacks on US forces in Iraq. They are part of the Popular Mobilization Units, which are part of the Iraqi Security Forces. The US carried out airstrikes on Kataib Hezbollah in December and killed Kataib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis on January 3. Muhandis was with IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, who was also killed.
The US has sad these pro-Iranian groups stockpile drones and rockets in Iraq. They also have ballistic missiles, according to December 2019 reports. Most of the rockets they use are Iranian-made 107mm rockets. They put the rockets in rocket launchers purpose built for trucks usually and fire them at night. Saturday’s attack was the first daylight attack of its kind in a year. It is rare and appears the pro-Iranian groups sought to use the rockets to strike at what they believed were US aircraft.
The US has cautioned Iran to stop targeting US forces. Now US CENTCOM and the Department of Defense will be tested to see if they will retaliate again. Iraqi politicians such as Hadi al-Amiri of the pro-Iranian Badr group and Muqtada al-Sadr have vowed to get US forces to leave Iraq.
Iran’s Ali Shamkhani of the Supreme National Security Council came to Iraq last week to help coordinate pressure on the US. Iraq’s President and military have condemned the US retaliatory airstrikes. Three Iraq soldiers from the 19th division were reportedly killed by mistake when the US carried out airstrikes on March 13.