Several rockets land near U.S. base in Iraq: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - About 17 rockets have been fired at a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq, but because the barrage only landed near the base, it did not result in any injuries or significant damage, Reuters reported, citing an Iraqi military statement.

A security source said that the rockets struck near the Qayyara military base. The attackers behind the strike remain unknown. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper said in October that U.S. President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Syria’s north, as Turkey pressed on with its offensive against Syrian Kurds. Syrian state television later reported that an estimated 260 American troops had left north-eastern Syria for Iraq.

Soon after the start of the Turkish offensive, U.S. President Donald Trump changed his opinion. On 20 October, Trump tweeted that the United States had “secured the oil”. Meanwhile, U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said at a press conference in Kabul that the United States was considering leaving a small contingent of U.S. troops in Syria in order to secure the oil fields and continue fighting terrorists.