Rocket attack targets Iraqi military base

Two rockets struck a military base at Kirkuk airport in northern Iraq, injuring two security personnel.

Two rockets hit a military area at Kirkuk airport on the evening of 30/6, lightly injuring two security personnel, a senior Iraqi security official told AFP. One of the rockets failed to detonate. "A third rocket struck a house in the nearby Uruba neighborhood, causing material damage," the official added.

Videos circulating on social media show a large fire, purportedly at the airport. Kirkuk airport authorities reported that the attack did not cause significant damage or disrupt flight operations.

The fire is believed to be at Kirkuk airport after the rocket attack on the evening of 30/6. Video: X/War Noir

The military area at Kirkuk airport houses bases for the Iraqi army, national police, and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of paramilitary groups now integrated into the Iraqi armed forces.

War Noir, an X account specializing in military information, reported that security forces recovered rocket fuses from GR122-LR rockets, also known as Arash. These Iranian-made rockets, based on the BM-21 multiple rocket launcher, have a maximum range of 40 km. They are commonly used by organizations linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq.

No group has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.

Iraq has long been a proxy battleground, frequently subjected to rocket and drone attacks.

Shortly before the ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect last week, radar stations at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq were severely damaged by suicide drones. The Iraqi military also announced that it had intercepted attacks on four other locations.