WASHINGTON — A rocket attack on Friday on an Iraqi military base killed an American civilian contractor and wounded several United States military service members and Iraqi personnel, according to the American military command in Baghdad.
The names of the Americans were withheld, and there were few details of the attack, at the K1 military base near Kirkuk, available late Friday. The base is run by the Iraqi military, but it houses United States and partner military forces who train Iraqi security forces.
The military command in Baghdad said the Iraqi security forces would lead the response and investigations.
An Iraqi military statement said that several rockets were launched at the base, according to Reuters. Security forces found a launchpad for Katyusha rockets in an abandoned vehicle nearby.
It was not clear who was responsible for the attack. American forces in Iraq have been threatened by both Iranian-backed militias and the remnants of the Islamic State.
While the Trump administration has said the Islamic State was defeated and its territory retaken, officials say the group’s fighters remain potent.
American officials have also said that Iran remains a threat to American forces in Iraq. As tensions this year have risen between Tehran and Washington, the State Department ordered diplomats from the American Embassy in Baghdad.
There are about 5,000 American troops in Iraq. The number of civilian contractors is far more difficult to track.