WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th March, 2021) The United States assesses the impact and works on a precise attribution of the latest rocket attack on its airbase in Iraq, reserving an option of a forceful retaliation, the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday.
Ten rockets were fired last night at the Al Asad airbase with one American civilian contractor dying of "a cardiac episode" during the attack.
"We are still assessing the impact of this latest rocket attack, including determining precise attribution... the President was briefed by his national security team this morning, [and] was, of course, monitoring the details overnight," Psaki said during a daily briefing.
She reminded that the US jets have recently bombed an infrastructure of Iranian-backed militias in neighboring Syria in response to similar incidents in Iraq.
"We responded to recent Iranian-backed attacks on coalition and US forces in a manner that was calculated, proportional and fully covered by legal authorities. That will be our model moving forward. If we assess that further response is warranted we will take action again in a manner and time of our choosing. We reserve this option," Psaki said.
Last week, the US launched airstrikes targeting infrastructure used by Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria. Washington said one militant died and two were wounded in the strikes, which the US says were conducted in retaliation for the February 15 rocket attack on the Erbil Air Base in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iran's state-run media reported that the airstrikes in Syria resulted in the death of 17 people.
