Iran launches attack on US Ein Al-Assad Air Base and Erbil Airport

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC )started heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria in retaliation for the assassination of IRGC Qods Force Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani earlier on Wednesday.

Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq.

The IRGC warned the US to avoid retaliating the Wednesday attack or else “it will face a more painful and crushing response”.

The IRGC Statement also warned “all the US allied states where the terrorist army has a base, any territory that becomes the origin of any hostile and aggressive action against the Islamic Republic of Iran in any way will be targeted”.

“Early estimates indicate heavy US casualties in Iran’s missile attack,” an informed IRGC Intelligence Department told FNA Wednesday morning.

“According to the reports sent by our sources in the region to this moment, at least 80 US arm personnel have been killed and around 200 others wounded,” he said, adding that the wounded have been evacuated from Ein Al-Assad on choppers.

He further underlined the strategic importance of Ein Al-Assad airbase to the US, and mentioned that the military center provided backup for US army drones.

“Some 20 sensitive points of this base were struck by 15 missiles, resulting in the destruction of a considerable number of drones and helicopters,” the source added, explaining that some of the targets have been destroyed in a single strike resulted from the high-explosive power of the warheads and serial explosions.

IRGC launched a strong missile attack on a US military base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of “Martyr Soleimani” reprisal operation.

The Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen TV network reported early on Wednesday that a US military base close to Erbil’s airport has come under attack. Other sources said all flights have been cancelled at Erbil airport.