Two rockets fell near US forces stationed close to Baghdad International Airport early on Wednesday, reports said, increasing tension before a visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iraq’s security media cell said in a statement that an explosion was heard at 11pm at the airport, in an area used by advisers to the US-led international coalition, AP reported.
The statement said Iraqi security forces were unable to determine the “type or causes of the explosion, and no party has claimed responsibility for it". It said the incident was under investigation and civilian air traffic continued as normal.
The attack, which was launched against the Camp Victory base, caused material damage but no casualties, Reuters reported. One of the rockets was aimed at the US embassy logistics centre at the airport, Sky News Arabia reported.
Iran-backed armed group Kataib Hezbollah denied involvement and said that the attack on Baghdad's airport at this time was clearly aimed at disrupting a visit by Mr Pezeshkian, set to begin on Wednesday. It will be the President's first trip abroad since he was elected in early July.
In a statement, Kataib Hezbollah, which has been behind previous attacks on US interests in Iraq, called on Iraqi security forces to investigate and determine who was behind the attack.
An Iraqi security official at the airport told AP that officials who were at the airport preparing for Mr Pezeshkian’s visit heard "the sound of two strong strikes".
Iran-backed armed forces in Iraq declared at the end of August that the informal truce with US forces stationed in Iraq, which had been meant to give Baghdad time to negotiate the withdrawal of American troops from the country, had ended.
Washington had long been in talks with Baghdad about the end of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition presence in Iraq, over the course of a years-long pullout.
But while a timeline is being finalised, American officials say the US military presence in Iraq will not change, continuing joint efforts to crack down on extremists.
Attacks on US troops and interests in the Middle East soared after the start of the Israel-Gaza war on October 7 last year. US bases in Iraq and Syria have come under attack dozens of times by Iran-backed groups while Yemen's Houthis have attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
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