Baghdad International Airport targeted by rocket fire

Airport a300_damaged_by_rocket.jpg
Iraqi Ministry of Transportation

Baghdad International Airport (BGW) in Iraq was the target of a rocket attack early on January 28, 2022. Six rockets damaged a decommissioned airliner, but no injuries were reported. Operations were halted. The attack has not been claimed at this stage. 

According to unconfirmed pictures, the weapon used appears to have been an improvised Katyusha-style rocket launcher placed on the platform of a truck. 

An out-of-service Airbus A300B4 aircraft, formerly operated by the Iraqi government, was damaged by one of the rockets. A US C-RAM anti-rocket system from nearby Camp Victory Base was triggered. The base now houses the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center where diplomats and a number of troops reside. 

The center had previously been targeted by a drone attack, which occurred on January 3, 2021. The US military shot down two drones fitted with explosives before they could reach their target. The attack took place on the second anniversary of the assassination of the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Iraq by a US drone strike.