Rockets fired at northern Iraq airport, one hits house; two lightly wounded

Two rockets struck the military section of Kirkuk airport in northern Iraq yesterday, slightly wounding two security personnel, a senior security official says.

Another rocket fell on a house in the city of Kirkuk, causing material damage.

“Two Katyusha rockets fell in the military section of Kirkuk airport,” slightly wounding two security personnel, the official says, requesting anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media.

One rocket did not explode, according to the official.

“A third rocket struck a house in the Uruba neighborhood,” causing material damage, the source adds.

The military sector of Kirkuk’s airport includes bases for the Iraqi Army, the federal police, and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of former pro-Iranian paramilitary forces now integrated into the regular armed forces.

A security source tells the official INA news agency that two rockets struck the military airbase at Kirkuk airport, one of which fell near the runaways, and another hit a house in the city.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks.

Last week, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran-Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The government said it launched a probe into the drone attacks, but it has not yet identified any perpetrators.