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US Secretary of State Pompeo ‘outraged’ by attack on Iraqi air base

Earlier, an official representative of the headquarters of the Operation Inherent Resolve told that the US personnel are not present at Balad Air Base
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo EPA-EFE/ERIK S. LESSER
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
© EPA-EFE/ERIK S. LESSER

WASHINGTON, January 13. /TASS/. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed his indignation at an attack of the Balad air base in Iraq and called on the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. He posted the corresponding message on Twitter on Sunday.

"Outraged by reports of another rocket attack on an Iraqi air base," he tweeted calling on the Iraqi government "to hold those responsible for this attack on the Iraqi people accountable."

"These continued violations of Iraq’s sovereignty by groups not loyal to the Iraqi government must end," he added.

Earlier, an official representative of the headquarters of the Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) told TASS that the US personnel are not present at Balad Air Base.

OIR is carried out both in in Iraq and Syria by a coalition of countries led by the United States.

Earlier Reuters reported that at least four Iraqi soldiers were wounded in an attack on Balad air base in northern Iraq on Sunday. Reuters referred to military sources saying that seven mortar bombs had hit the base’s runway. The agency noted that the US forces were also at the base. It has not been reported yet about who was behind the attack.