An unknown number of terrorists were killed in Iraq Tuesday after they fired on U.S. troops in the western portion of the country and were met with return fire by a U.S. military AC-130 gunship.
U.S. Central Command confirmed on its X page that American troops at al-Assad Airbase were targeted by missiles.
The militants, which were backed by Iran, were tracked and taken out from the air.
“On 21 Nov. an AC-130 gunship engaged individuals responsible for launching a missile attack on U.S. and Coalition personnel at Al Assad Airbase, Iraq,” Central Command said in a statement.
The statement added, “The gunship maintained visual confirmation of the individuals from the time of the launch to the time of engagement. This strike resulted in several enemy casualties.”
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On 21 Nov. an AC-130 gunship engaged individuals responsible for launching a missile attack on U.S. and Coalition personnel at Al Assad Airbase, Iraq. The gunship maintained visual confirmation of the individuals from the time of the launch to the time of engagement. This strike… pic.twitter.com/KGSeAGi3fk
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) November 21, 2023
According to two Department of Defense officials who spoke to ABC News, it is believed multiple terrorists were killed in the counterstrike.
The officials also confirmed that a number of U.S. troops were wounded or injured in the missile attack.
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“I can confirm an attack last night by Iran backed militias using a close-range ballistic missile against U.S. and coalition forces at al-Assad Airbase in Iraq, which resulted in several non-serious injuries and some minor damage to infrastructure,” deputy Defense Department press secretary Sabrina Singh told the network.
DoD press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said eight U.S. service members were injured.
Ryder stated:
“We can confirm an attack last night by Iran-backed militias using a close-range ballistic missile against us and coalition forces at Al-Asad airbase, which resulted in eight injuries and minor damage to infrastructure.
“Immediately following the attack, a U.S. military AC-130 aircraft in the area conducted a self defense strike against an Iranian-backed militia vehicle and a number of Iranian-backed militia personnel involved in this attack.”
The AC-130 gunship is known for its ability to stealthily engage ground targets and has been used by the U.S. military since the Vietnam War.
American troops stationed in the Middle East have faced escalating attacks from Iran-backed militias since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel.
Per ABC News, Tuesday’s missile launch at al-Assad was the 66th such attack since Israel’s war on terror began.
Since Oct. 17, American troops stationed in both Iraq and Syria have been fired upon.
Seventy U.S. service members have been injured in total.
The Pentagon told ABC News many of the injuries have been minor while some troops have suffered traumatic brain injuries.
