Iraqi security personnel hurt in rocket attack on Kirkuk base

KIRKUK: Two Iraqi security personnel were slightly wounded when rockets hit the military section of Kirkuk airport late on Monday. 

Another rocket struck a house in the city, causing some damage. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Two Katyusha rockets fell in the military section of Kirkuk airport," slightly wounding two security personnel, the official said, requesting anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

One rocket did not explode, according to the official.

"A third rocket struck a house in the Uruba neighbourhood," causing material damage, the source added.

The military section 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 told the official INA news agency that two rockets struck the military airbase at Kirkuk airport – one landed near the runways, while another hit a house in the city.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Kirkuk International Airport management said there was no damage to the airport itself and that the attack did not disrupt flights.

Iraq has long been a battleground for drone and rocket assaults, becoming a hotspot for proxy conflicts.

It has only recently regained a degree of stability after decades of war and unrest.

Last week, just hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran-Israel war, unidentified drones hit radar systems at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

The government said it had launched an investigation into the drone attacks but has not yet identified those responsible.