WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Sunday US citizens should not travel to Iraq after recent attacks on American troops and personnel in the region.

Katyusha rockets on Sunday targeted the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq, and one blast was heard inside the base, two army sources said.

On Saturday, defence systems at Ain al-Asad intercepted and shot down two drones while they were hovering near the base. Ain al-Asad air base is located in the western Anbar province.

Last week, a US warship shot down more than a dozen drones and four cruise missiles fired allegedly by Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen.

The advisory followed the ordered departure of eligible family members and non-emergency US government personnel from US Embassy Baghdad and US Consulate General Erbil “due to increased security threats against US personnel and interests,” the State Department said in a statement.

Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar. “Because of security concerns, US government personnel in Baghdad are instructed not to use Baghdad International Airport,” the State Department said.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2023