Iraq says thwarted rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport

The ten rockets were found in the Jihad neighborhood, west of Baghdad, not far from the capital's sprawling airport facility, where US forces advising Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS are located.
A photo showing rocket launchers in Jihad neighborhood, Baghdad, Iraq, on July 02, 2021. Security sources said the launchers were directed at Baghdad International Airport, where US forces are stationed. (Photo: Security Media Cell)
A photo showing rocket launchers in Jihad neighborhood, Baghdad, Iraq, on July 02, 2021. Security sources said the launchers were directed at Baghdad International Airport, where US forces are stationed. (Photo: Security Media Cell)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi forces have foiled an attempted rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport, a frequent target of suspected Iran-aligned militias, security sources said Friday.

The official Security Media Cell said Iraqi forces had seized eight rockets at Baghdad's Jihad neighborhood, not far from Baghdad International Airport. The agency later said there were ten rockets at the site.

The cell only confirmed that a military barracks "west of Baghdad" was the intended target of the rockets. Photos posted by the cell showed the explosive projectiles alongside their launchers.

A security source told Kurdistan 24 that the launchers were directed at Baghdad International Airport.

The Coalition "is committed to working cooperatively w/our Iraqi partners to address rocket/drone threats, which undermine Iraq’s own sovereignty and stability, & threaten the security of Iraqi civilians," Coalition spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto tweeted.

"Iraq’s leaders have reiterated to us their commitment to protecting #ISF facilities hosting U.S. & Coalition personnel. Each attack against the GoI (Government of Iraq), KRI (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) and the @Coalition undermines the authority of Iraqi institutions, the rule of law and Iraqi National sovereignty."

Baghdad has not accused any group of being behind the attempted attack but local media reports claim the authorities have arrested one suspect in connection with the plot.

US troops are stationed in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport, supporting Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS at the government's invitation and the helm of an international coalition.

Iraq and the autonomous Kurdistan Region continue to witness rocket attacks on or near various installations hosting either US diplomatic corps or coalition forces widely blamed on Iran-backed militias of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).



In late June, the US launched limited airstrikes against sites used by Iran-aligned PMF militias in the Iraq-Syria border area. This came days after a drone attack in the Kurdistan Region's Erbil.