IRBIL: A US military official has said that an explosive detonated as a convoy of US and other forces belonging to the anti-militancy coalition passed through northern Iraq, Western media reported on Thursday. The official told AFP on the condition of anonymity that the coalition troops encountered an improvised explosive device explosion near the Mosul dam. However, AFP did not report about the casualties after the blast.
This is the latest in increasing series of strikes on US forces in the region during last several weeks. According to officials, American and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria have been attacked by drone and rocket strikes about 40 times since October 17. It added that several US personnel were also wounded in these strikes in the region. However, AFP reported that the coalition force did not issue any statement over the recent attack.
Blast Hits Coalition Forces in Iraq
About 2,500 US troops are deployed in Iraq and around 900 in Syria, as part of the global coalition that was set up in 2014. Earlier, in a tour to Baghdad on Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the strikes were “completely unacceptable.” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has also denounced the attacks and pledged investigations to uncover the culprits.
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On Wednesday US warplanes conducted a strike on weapons storage facility in Syria, in response to attacks against US personnel, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated.
