Explosion Hits US Military Convoy Near Taji Base North of Baghdad
An explosive device has hit a US-led military convoy near the Taji base north of Iraq’s capital Baghdad.
The Iraqi military confirmed in a statement that Tuesday’s explosion had caused a container on one of the vehicles to catch fire but did not report any casualties, according to Reuters.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion.
Meanwhile, earlier on Tuesday, the Iraqi military denied media reports of an attack on a convoy carrying US military equipment near the Jraischan crossing at the Iraq-Kuwait border.
Reuters had reported that an explosion near the Jraischan crossing had targeted a convoy carrying equipment for US forces on Monday evening.
In a statement, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command spokesman Tahsin al-Khafagi dismissed media reports of an attack at the Jraischan crossing.
Earlier, a security source said that the blast had been caused by an Iraqi armed group targeting a US military base near the crossing by smuggling in an explosive device. But other security sources later said a convoy had been targeted, and not the base.
The resistance group Ashab al-Kahf reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, and published a video of an explosion seen from a distance.
Kuwait’s Armed Forces also denied the attack on one of the outposts on its northern border with Iraq, saying in a Twitter post that the borders were stable and secure.
Anti-US sentiment has been running high in Iraq since Washington assassinated top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and the second-in-command of the Iraqi popular mobilization units, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in January.
Following the attack, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill on January 5, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign troops.
Baghdad and Washington are currently in talks over the withdrawal of American troops.
Iraqi resistance groups have vowed to take up arms against US forces if Washington fails to comply with the parliamentary order.
Source: Press TV