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U.S. soldiers conduct an artillery exercise at al Asad Air Base in Iraq on Dec. 1, 2023. The base was targeted in a rocket attack Dec. 20, but there were no injuries or damage for American personnel, a U.S. Central Command statement said. (Quince Lanford/U.S. Army)

U.S. troops at a base in western Iraq once again came under rocket fire, military officials said Thursday, adding that the attack did not cause any injuries or damage.

The Wednesday morning attack on al Asad Air Base was carried out with a 122 mm rocket, a U.S. Central Command statement said.

Although officials didnt name the suspects in the attack, Iraqi security forces seized a truck believed to have launched the rocket, the statement said.

Iranian-backed militias have launched dozens of attacks on U.S. troops at bases in Iraq and Syria since the start of a war between Israel and Hamas that American officials have worked to prevent from escalating into a regional conflict.

More than 100 attacks involving drones, rockets and mortars have targeted American troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 7, a U.S. defense official told Stars and Stripes on Thursday.

No U.S. forces have died, although dozens have been injured, and an American defense contractor died of a heart problem in October while scrambling for cover during an alert at al Asad.

The U.S. has announced at least six retaliatory and pre-emptive airstrikes on militants in Iraq, including one in late November after al Asad Air Base came under fire from ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon has roughly 2,400 troops deployed to Iraq, as well as 800 troops and about 130 contractors deployed to Syria, a statement from U.S. Central Command in early December said.

Militant groups in Iraq are known for using 122 mm rockets, which are most commonly based on models from the Soviet Union, a 2014 report published by Small Arms Survey said.

These rockets range from 6 to 9 feet in length, and the most common model has an explosive payload of about 41 pounds, the report said.

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No US troops injured in latest rocket strike at Iraq base - Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced a resolution condemning attacks by Iranian military proxies on U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Syria and emphasizing the urgency of responding to and deterring such attacks.

American troops in the region have been targeted by Iranian proxies more than 115 times since mid-October in the wake of the terror attacks committed by Hamas against Israel. Iran provides financing, training, and other support to militia groups throughout the region, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen. In addition to targeting U.S. troops and infrastructure, attacks by Iran-backed militias have forced global shipping companies to stop using the Red Sea as a travel route, slowing down critical supply chains throughout the region.

Attacks on American troops are reprehensible, and Iranian support for these attacks has rightfully earned a swift and forceful response from the Biden administration, said Senator Coons. I join Senator Cruz in introducing this resolution to condemn these attacks, increase pressure on Iran to cease its support for violent militia groups, and support efforts to deter Iranian-backed militia attacks on U.S. troops and the international community. I also commend the resiliency and bravery of American service members across the Middle East and hope this resolution makes clear Congress support for U.S. Central Commands mission of countering terrorism and maintaining stability across the region.

The Iranian regime is attacking Americans, our allies, and our interests across the Middle East, said Senator Cruz. They are not only launching attacks and massacres against our Israeli and Arab allies, but their Houthi proxies are now trying to shut down freedom of navigation that is vital to the American and global economies. It is clear that they are not deterred, and it is long past time for the Biden administration to take all necessary steps to deter and counter these activities. Enough is enough.

In addition to Senators Coons and Cruz, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.).

The text of the full resolution is available here.

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Senators Coons, Cruz introduce resolution to condemn attacks by Iranian military proxies on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria - Senator Chris Coons

Iraqi militias launched a drone attack on Eilat, but the drone never made it and was intercepted by Jordan in its airspace.

An X (formerly Twitter) account associated with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella term for multiple pro-iran militias, announced that they had launched a drone attack on Eilat in Israel.

The Jordanian Defence Ministry announced that it had shot down the drone after it had crossed into Jordanian airspace, according to Maariv.

The document, signed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), says that this attack is a continuation of their resistance to the occupation as well as to support the people of Gaza in response to "the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians".

The IRI is not a fixed group according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, "but rather a generic name used to denote unity among Iran-backed armed groups and deemphasize their individual identities during attacks spurred by the Gaza crisis."

The Institute recorded a series of attacks against American bases in Iraq launched by the IRI since October 17, with all of them being attributed to this "generic, no-logo brand" militia, this is part of Iran's "facade strategy" to avoid accountability for attacks on Americans.

They suggest this hints that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is likely coordinating the attacks and "corralling" Iran's proxies which would normally argue over public leadership.

The Institute highlights three main militias likely operating under the IRI umbrella, Kataib Hezbollah (who kidnapped Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov earlier this year), Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. Indeed the original account that tweeted about the drone attack is affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

This escalation is likely part of Iran's attempts to use proxy groups around the Middle East to put pressure on the US and Israel, as has been the case with increased Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Further complicating the situation groups such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq also hold 17 seats in the Iraqi parliament as part of the Fatah Alliance (unrelated to the Palestinian party of the same name).

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Iraqi militia attempts Eilat drone attack, was intercepted over Jordan - The Jerusalem Post

Iraq headed to provincial elections on Monday, for the first time since war with ISIS broke out in early 2013, causing massive displacement of people, genocide, and other atrocities.

When the war ended in 2017, further chaos followed: An independence referendum in the Kurdistan autonomous region provoked the Iraqi federal government, backed by Shiite militias, to attack Kurds in Sinjar and Kirkuk, followed by Iranian-backed militias that began a campaign against US forces in 2019 and 2020.

Nowadays, Iraq is trying to put some of its violent past behind it. However, reports warned of voter apathy and potential violence, though indications show high turnout in some areas, which could be the way forward for some regions, experts have motioned.

A special early vote for 50,000 displaced people and security forces has taken place already.

There are around 16 million voters, 7,766 polling centers in Baghdad and the governorates, and 38,000 polling stations around the country, Gulf-based Al-Ain media said, and 38 electoral alliances are competing with more than 4,000 candidates.

The Sadrist movement, led by Muqtada al-Sadr, is the largest Shiite group and one of the most prominent absentees in the provincial council elections after they decided to boycott them.

In addition, the Iraqi supreme court has sought to remove Mohammed Halbousi from parliament, which has made him popular in some Sunni areas of Iraq, where he is from.

Former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is pro-Iran, has support groups in the elections. Local parties are competing in Anbar province. Several Kurdish parties, such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party, are competing.

The elections are important for Iraq and will show whether the country can have a peaceful election and represent most of its various groups, including Sunni and Shiite Arabs, Kurds, Yazidis, Turkmen, Assyrians, and others.

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Iraq heads to provincial elections, first in ten years - The Jerusalem Post

WHO and Iraqi health authorities concluded a collaborative EPI bottleneck analysis workshop to enhance immunization in Iraq. Photo credit: WHO/WHO Iraq

19December2023, Erbil, Iraq Iraq has seen routine immunization coverage fluctuate in 2023, and there has also been a very low uptake of COVID-19 vaccination. To assess the immunization landscape in Iraq, the WHO Country Office in Iraq ran a 4-day Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) bottleneck analysis workshop.

The workshop sought to explore how well immunization targets had been achieved at various administrative levels, from service points to central level. The event was organized in partnership with the federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Health in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and in collaboration with EPI partners.

Some of Iraqs provinces and districts have reached and even exceeded the EPI targets. Indeed, Iraq was among the first 9 countries globally to successfully attain one of the targets of the Immunization Agenda 2030. But other areas have shown suboptimal coverage, falling below the threshold needed to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. This leaves a large number of children at risk of potentially fatal diseases.

It is worth noting, however, that current efforts must go beyond the usual routine immunization for children to also encompass COVID-19 vaccination for all ages.

The main aim of the workshop was to chart a road map to identify such disparities across the country and put forward solutions, including the resources required and responsible parties. It is crucial to both understand how to achieve the best vaccination coverage at the level of the lowest administrative unit and also take swift and effective action. When it comes to addressing the threat of vaccine-preventable diseases, no child should be left behind.

WHO spearheads this initiative and is committed to using every available resource to overcome challenges and seize opportunities in this area. Using the workshops analysis of the current immunization landscape, the goal is to now implement concrete strategies to boost vaccination coverage and disease prevention across Iraq.

We acknowledge the challenges inherent in the EPI area, but we are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead, said DrWaelHatahit, Acting WHO Representative in Iraq. It is vital to harness the potential of existing resources, including skills and tools, to efficiently address these challenges and prevent morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases among children in Iraq.

DrFirasAlKhafaji, WHO EPI-Polio Officer, added: The workshops intentional inclusion of the term EPI bottleneck emphasizes that it goes beyond routine vaccinations for children. It covers a broader perspective, including the critical aspect of COVID-19 vaccination. This holistic approach aims to tackle all aspects of immunization to create a robust and resilient health system that safeguards the health of Iraqs children.

Ajyal Sultany WHO Iraq Communications Officer +9647740892878 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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WHO EMRO | WHO tackles low immunization challenges in Iraq | News | Iraq site - WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean