Rockets Launched at Iraq’s Ain Al-Asad Airbase, No Casualties, Sources Say 

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Rockets Launched at Iraq’s Ain Al-Asad Airbase, No Casualties, Sources Say 

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with Iraq Defense Minister Muhammad Al-Abbasi at the Pentagon in Washington, US, July 23, 2024. (Reuters)

Multiple rockets were launched at Iraq's Ain al-Asad airbase housing US-led forces late on Thursday, US and Iraqi sources said, with no damage or casualties reported.

Two US officials said the base itself had not been struck in the attack.

The attack came two days after a military summit in Washington where Iraqi and US officials discussed winding down the coalition's work a decade after it was formed to fight ISIS as it stormed across Iraq and Syria.

No major announcement was made at the end of the talks, though US and Iraqi sources say an announcement that it will begin to gradually wind down is likely in the coming weeks.

Iran-aligned Iraqi political and military factions have pressured the country's government to quickly draw down the coalition's work and say they want all 2,500 troops deployed by the country's one-time occupier to leave.

Washington and the Iraqi government say they want to transition to a bilateral security relationship that would likely see some troops remain in an advisory role.

US-led forces invaded Iraq in 2003, toppled former leader Saddam Hussein and then withdrew in 2011, only to return in 2014 to fight ISIS at the head of the coalition.

Iran-backed Iraqi armed factions have targeted bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria dozens of times since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, though there have only been a handful of attacks since February, when a truce took hold.



Israel Renews its Readiness for War... Lebanon Says Doors are Not Shut

Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)
Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)
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Israel Renews its Readiness for War... Lebanon Says Doors are Not Shut

Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)
Smoke rises from the border village of Kafr Hamam in South Lebanon following the Israeli bombing (AFP)

The Israeli army informed the political leadership that it has completed exercises for a major ground maneuver in Lebanon, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced, adding that preparations were underway for strong air operations.
Speaking from the Ramat Air base, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar, spoke of surprises, saying: “We are ready for war. The responsibility of the Air Force to implement all operational plans is full... There will be surprises," the Israeli commander said.
These threats came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s escalatory stances before the US Congress, and the announcement of the army’s end of training exercises simulating battles with Hezbollah on Lebanese territory.
The Israeli authorities have also issued a decision to suspend classes in the settlements and border towns with Lebanon for the next academic year, and informed students of the necessity of enrolling in other schools.
Parliamentary sources in the Development and Liberation bloc, headed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, did not downplay the importance of these threats, but called for “not being overly optimistic and not giving in to pessimism.” The sources noted that this amount of threats “may indicate an escalation, but without reaching the extent of a great war.”
“The doors are not shut. There are constant communications and movement away from the spotlight. In addition, Lebanon does not need new resolutions, and International Resolution 1701 must be implemented, and pressure must be exerted on Israel to implement it,” they added.
The Israeli decision regarding the school year points to negative indicators and an expanding possibility of war, and raises the question about the fate of the next academic year in Lebanon, specifically in the border areas. A large number of Lebanese students had moved to safe areas within designated schools to complete their educational curricula.
Lebanon’s minister of education in the caretaker government, Abbas al-Halabi, will hold extensive meetings on Monday and Tuesday with the country’s educational authority to discuss preparations for the next academic year, the ministry’s sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Ministry of Education statistics showed that nearly 11,000 students forcibly left their schools, while 44 educational institutions permanently closed their doors in the border villages, including 12 secondary schools.
Meanwhile, confrontations continued at a varying pace between Israel and Hezbollah, which mourned a member and announced that air defense units had fired “anti-aircraft missiles at enemy warplanes inside Lebanese airspace in the southern region, forcing them to retreat.”
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it attacked and hit a building used by Israeli soldiers in the Manara settlement in response to an attack on Kafr Hamam village on Wednesday. The group said it also targeted military buildings in Shtula and Hanita, and “espionage equipment at the Birkat Risha site ... leading to its destruction.”
The party mourned Abdullah Mohammad Fakih from Rab Al-Talatheen in South Lebanon, after the Israeli bombing targeted the town. The National News Agency reported that one person was killed and two were wounded in the attack.