US contractor killed in Iraq rocket attack, troops wounded

Barrage of up to 30 projectiles targets Iraqi military compound near Kirkuk housing American service members

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By Lolita C. Baldor 28 December 2019, 5:56 am Edit

lllustrative: US military personnel near Mosul, Iraq, April 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A US defense contractor was killed and several American and Iraqi troops were wounded Friday in a rocket attack in northern Iraq, US officials said.

According to officials, the attack involved as many as 30 rockets fired at the Iraqi military compound near Kirkuk, where US service members are also based.

Officials did not provide the exact number of troops wounded in the attack or the severity of the injuries. They spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details before they were made public.

Such attacks have taken place on several occasions over the past few months, with US officials for the most part blaming Iran-backed fighters.

Col. Myles Caggins, a spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, said Iraqi security forces were leading the investigation and response to the attack.

Iraq has been roiled since October 1 by protests that have left more than 450 people dead, the vast majority of them demonstrators killed by security forces firing tear gas and live ammunition. The mass uprisings prompted the resignation of former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi late last month.