An Iraqi firefighter inspects a burnt vehicle that was damaged by rocket fire on Monday in a residential compound near Baghdad’s International Green Zone (via @auroraintel on Twitter).
Two Katyusha rocket attacks inside Baghdad’s so-called “Green Zone” in the last two days have caused some structural and vehicle damage, but no casualties so far. At least 8 rockets were fired at the US embassy in the capital’s International Zone on Sunday, but most were intercepted by C-RAM systems (Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar) which were deployed nearby. At least one rocket caused minor damage to the American diplomatic compound, according to a US Embassy press release. Two more rockets were fired on Monday night, evading the C-RAM system and impacting inside the Green Zone and in a nearby residential compound. The spokesman for the International Coalition for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) reported no damage or casualties inside the base. Pictures taken in the residential compound outside the base showed emergency crews responding to burning vehicles.
The latest round of rocket attacks on Baghdad come after a similar attack on the Balad Air Base last Saturday, just north of Baghdad, where US forces are stationed. That attack caused injuries to local contractors working at the base. There have been four rocket attacks on Iraqi bases in the last week, beginning with a deadly attack on US-forces in the Kurdistan capital of Erbil last Tuesday, which has now killed two non-US contractors, after another victim finally succumbed to their wounds today. One US contractor and a US servicemember were also injured in the attack near Erbil’s international airport. Iranian-linked Shiite militas have been linked to several of the attacks so far. US president Biden’s press secretary commented last week that her administration will respond “at a time and place of our choosing” to the uptick in rocket fire, but as of yet, no demonstrable military response has been reported. The string of attacks are seen as a test for the new administration, more than a year after a similar tit-for-tat campaign with the Trump Administration ended in the assassination of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Qassem Soleimani.
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Please join us in prayer for the people of Baghdad, Erbil, and greater Iraq tonight, as the threat of radical Sunni and Shia militias continues to threaten a broader civil conflict inside Iraq, especially as neighboring powers such as Turkey and Iran continue to posture for influence and control. We pray for the safety of civilians and Coalition servicemembers in and around Iraqi bases, as well as new opportunities for FAI field teams to respond and assist as new threats and crises emerge.
Maranatha
