At least two people sustained minor injuries when 14 rockets were fired at the joint US-Iraqi Ain Al Asad airbase on Wednesday.
The missiles landed on the base and the perimeter at about 12.30pm, US coalition spokesman Wayne Marotto said.
Ain Al Asad, in Anbar province, hosts the largest contingent of US troops in Iraq and a small number of other international forces. Most troops on the base are Iraqi.
US forces activated defensive measures as the stream of rockets was fired. Some hit the base, while others struck the outer boundary, Col Marotto said.
Iraqi security forces said the origin of the attack was a small lorry disguised as a civilian vehicle carrying flour. It had been modified to carry a crude multiple-launch rocket system.
A mosque and some buildings were damaged near the site of the rocket launch, the Coalition said.
An assault was also mounted against a US base in Syria.
An explosive drone was launched at American and allied Kurdish forces at Al Omar oilfield in Deir Ezzor, local media reported. It was apparently intercepted.
The attacks followed drone attacks against the US embassy in Baghdad and the US consulate in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Tuesday.
An improvised drone in Baghdad which carried a small munition was reportedly shot down. The Erbil attack also caused no casualties.
The US embassy activated its Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar system defences, sending streams of orange tracer bullets arcing across the night sky.
Iraqi Ministry of Defence spokesman Yehia Rasool condemned the attacks as acts of terrorism “targeting the sovereignty and security of our country”.
Conflict between the US and Iran-backed militia groups has escalated in recent months. Washington has blamed them for attacks against American troops in Iraq and Syria.
US and Iran-backed militia stalemate
Since US President Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 22, Iran-backed groups in Iraq have launched close to 30 attacks on US forces, according to analysis by Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank.
US and international forces in Iraq are training the Iraqi army to stymie an attempted revival of ISIS. But Coalition forces have increasingly come under attack by Iran-backed militias, part of a government-sanctioned force known as the Popular Mobilisation Units.
Under President Trump, Washington made clear the red line for the militias was the death of an American citizen.
That line was crossed with the death of an Iraqi-American contractor at a base near Kirkuk on December 27, 2019. In response, the US launched heavy air strikes against Iran’s main proxy militia force in Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah.
The resulting escalation cycle brought Iran and the US to the brink of war on January 3, 2020, when a US air strike in Baghdad killed Iranian general Qassem Suleimani and the head of Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis.
Mr Biden has changed tack since taking office. On the one hand, he has established a deterrence policy whereby even non-lethal attacks will be met with US air strikes.
But unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, Mr Biden is aiming for proportionate counter strikes rather than heavy air strikes that could kill dozens of militiamen and worsen the conflict.
Calculated proportionality also risks inviting more attacks, says Alex Almeida, a security analyst at Horizon Client Access, who focuses on non-state armed groups.
“The militias are threading the line between keeping the revenge narrative going and being careful not to draw another massive Trump-style retaliatory air strike,” he said.
“It’s clear Biden is less willing to retaliate, so the bar for what they can get away with is a lot higher than under Trump.”
The Iran-backed groups have rapidly growing arsenals of drones, rockets and even short range ballistic missiles.
But the militias are falling back on smaller attacks out of caution, Mr Almeida said.
On June 28, the US bombed what it said were buildings storing explosive drones in Albu Kamal, a small town in Syria. It is near the Iraqi border town of Al Qaim, where Iran-backed militia groups have a heavy presence.
Five members of a PMF group were killed.
Those air strikes were retaliation for a non-lethal drone attack on June 26 against the US consulate in Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
Abu Alaa Al Walae, the head of Kataib Sayyid Al Shuhada, told AFP on Tuesday his forces were planning revenge against US forces for the attack.
“We want it to be an operation in which everyone says they have taken revenge on the Americans,” Al Walae said. “It will be a qualitative operation [that could come] from the air, the sea, along Iraq’s border, in the region or anywhere. It’s an open war.”
Controlled violence
The violence has raised questions as to how serious the current round of fighting could become.
“I see this trending toward continued escalation but not all out escalation,” Mr Almeida said.
“We’re not likely to see a ramped roadside bombing campaign, which could seriously disrupted Coalition logistics. In other words, multiple convoy roadside bombs per week. We probably won’t see a sustained high volume of rocket fire at multiple Coalition operating locations, like in 2011,” he said.
“In general, I think the militias will continue trying out new modes of attacks, drones, anti-air missiles, maybe. But I think the overall volume of attacks is going to remain reasonably low.”
Kataib Hezbollah attacks on US forces in 2011, using much larger rockets than those typically used in recent attacks, killed 15 US servicemen in the space of a month before stopping after a combination of US threats and diplomacy.
But even if the militias and the US refrain from attempted mass casualty attacks against each other, the ongoing fight against ISIS, known by the Coalition as Operation Inherent Resolve, could be disrupted, said Joel Wing, an analyst in California who has tracked fighting in Iraq since 2008.
“I think OIR is in a tailspin. The US is going into force protection, which means it’s not doing much advising and assistance to the Iraqis. The pro-Iran camp has the initiative because it can up the ante with more intense attacks any time it wants,” he told The National.
“US deterrence has been ineffective hitting camps out on the Iraq-Syrian border, so I’ve gotten the impression that US military doesn’t like escalation.”
Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE CARD
4.30pm: Maiden Dh80,000 1,400m
5pm: Conditions Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 3 Dh300,000 1,400m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Group 2 Dh300,000 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (30-60) Dh80,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (40-70) Dh80,000 1,600m.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Second Test, Day 2:
South Africa 335 & 75/1 (22.0 ov)
England 205
South Africa lead by 205 runs with 9 wickets remaining
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Available: Now
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The 24-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Standby player: Laurent Ciman (Los Angeles FC).
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
