US troops find Iranian rockets aimed at Iraq base
Posted Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:23am AEST
The US military says its soldiers have found rocket launchers armed with dozens of Iranian-made missiles aimed at one of its bases south of Baghdad.
"After several rockets hit FOB [Forward Operating Base] Hammer on July 11, the Third Heavy Brigade Combat Team manoeuvred to find the source of the attack," a military statement said.
The next morning an unmanned aerial vehicle located 46 rocket launchers in the northern section of Besmaya Range Complex aimed at FOB Hammer.
Thirty-four of the launchers were armed with Iranian 107 millimetre rockets.
The US army believes the other 12 rockets were launched at the base the day before, killing one US soldier.
The military announced the death on July 12 but provided no details at the time.
US commanders frequently accuse Iran of providing weapons, training and support to armed groups in Iraq, including many of the rockets launched at Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.
They have also accused Iranian special forces of using Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah fighters to train Iraqi extremists to attack US troops in Iraq.
Iran has denied the charges, blaming Iraq's woes on the United States.
US troops find Iranian rockets aimed at Iraq base
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