Rocket falls near Iraqi base hosting US contractors

Initial investigations showed that the target of the attack was to strike Balad airbase, north of Baghdad, Iraqi officials said.

A rocket fell on Sunday in a rural area close to an Iraqi military air base hosting some U.S. contractors, but there were no casualties, Iraqi security officials said.

In this Jan. 13, 2020 file photo, U.S. Soldiers stand at a site of Iranian bombing at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar, Iraq. (AP)

Initial investigations showed that the target of the attack was to strike Balad airbase, north of Baghdad, but the rocket fell short and hit the village of al-Bu Asi just southeast, they said.

No group immediately claimed the attack, but armed groups that some Iraqi officials have said are backed by Iran have claimed similar incidents in the past.