Dhaka, Bangladesh: Two Katyusha rockets struck Baghdad International Airport in the early hours of October 1, with no reported casualties, according to Iraqi security officials, coinciding with the beginning of the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq.

The Iraqi Security Media Cell, part of the Global Coalition, reported that one of the rockets impacted a garage utilized by Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service, while the other fell in an unoccupied area of the airport complex.

September 30, 2024

Subsequently, security forces located the launch platform—a Kia truck—in Baghdad's western Amiriyah district, where they also discovered several unexploded rockets and some that had detonated nearby.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes as U.S.-led coalition forces begin their withdrawal. Government spokesman Basim Al-Awadi confirmed on Monday that "dozens of American soldiers withdrew over the past three days from Ain al-Asad base."

On September 28, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry announced an agreement with Washington to conclude the coalition's mission within 12 months, by no later than September 2025.

This incident follows a previous attack last month on a U.S. Embassy logistics center near the airport. Iraqi armed factions, known as the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq," had been targeting U.S. forces but paused their operations during withdrawal negotiations.

The attack occurs amid rising tensions between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel, particularly following the recent deaths of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior figures. International observers are concerned that these confrontations may escalate into a broader conflict.

As forensic teams work to disarm the remaining rockets, Iraqi security forces have initiated an investigation and cordoned off the area from which the rockets were launched.