Pentagon: US soldiers injured in attack in Iraq

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense told the German Press Agency in Washington. According to the statement, the Al-Asad airbase used by US troops and partners was presumably attacked with a missile.

"Initial indications are that several US soldiers were injured," the spokesperson explained. "Base personnel are currently conducting a damage assessment." Further information will be provided in a timely manner.

The White House announced that US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been informed of the incident. "Measures have been discussed" to defend US forces "and to respond to any attack on our personnel in a manner and location of our choosing".

Since the beginning of the Gaza war, pro-Iranian militias have repeatedly attacked US military bases in Iraq and Syria. At the end of January, three US soldiers were killed in one of the attacks in Jordan near the Syrian border. The US responded with extensive airstrikes on positions held by such militias in Iraq and Syria.