Iraqi army: Rocket hits near Baghdad airport

BAGHDAD (AP) — A rocket landed in the periphery of Baghdad airport, according to an Iraqi military statement Monday, without providing further details.

The army statement said the missile was launched from an area south of the airport, which includes a military base frequented by U.S. troops.

Security forces have initiated a search operation to uncover the perpetrators, the statement said. There were no reported casualties or damages. An Iraqi security official said the rocket struck close to the headquarters of the U.S.-led coalition.

The attack is the first to target the airport since May 6 when three katyusha rockets struck near its military sector. That attack did not cause any casualties.

The rockets had struck close to Iraqi forces at the military airport, another near Camp Cropper, once a U.S. detention facility, and the last near to where U.S. forces are stationed at the base.

The U.S. has accused Iran-backed militias of carrying out such attacks in the past. Several attacks targeted U.S. interests early in March, including three military bases known to house U.S. troops. The U.S.-led coalition has withdrawn from several bases across Iraq in a planned drawdown.

Separately, a U.S. military plane crashed into a concrete wall in Camp Taji, an Iraqi military base north of the capital, without causing fatalities, two Iraqi officials said. The crash of the C17 was deemed was deemed an accident, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition Myles Caggins told the Associated Press.

The plane’s two pilots suffered mild injuries and are in stable condition, the officials said. Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

There were seven crew members and 26 passengers aboard the flight.

In March, two Americans and one British soldier were killed following a barrage of rockets on Camp Taji.

source: yahoo.com