Rockets target US forces near Baghdad International Airport

The head of the Iraqi security media cell (ISMC), Tahseen Al-Khafaji, said on Wednesday that an explosion was reported on Tuesday night around 11 p.m. in an area of Baghdad International Airport where international coalition advisors were staying.

Al-Khafaji said in a statement that while no party has claimed responsibility for the explosion, Iraqi security services are looking into its reasons, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

The explosion did not affect Baghdad’s aviation traffic, and flights are continuing as usual, according to Al-Khafaji.

Security sources revealed that two rockets fell at Camp Victory base, where US forces are stationed near Baghdad International Airport, according to Reuters.

The explosion caused material damages, but no casualties have been reported.

The attack comes after Baghdad and Washington agreed on a strategy for the departure of coalition forces led by the United States from Iraq.

Reuters mentioned that hundreds of troops are expected to leave Iraq by September 2025 and the remaining forces by the end of 2026, according to the agreement, which still needs confirmation from top authorities in both countries and an announcement date.

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Although pro-Iranian militias are present in Iraq, the country hosts around 2,500 US soldiers.

In January, Iraq initiated discussions with the United States to terminate the coalition’s operations in the country.

To finalize the agreement between the two sides, a delegation from Iraq headed by Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi visited Washington in late July.

The international coalition against ISIS includes 87 partners and was established primarily to combat the terrorist group ISIS in Iraq and Syria.