Rockets Target US Military Base at Baghdad's International Airport

Iraq’s authorities say a rocket attack targeted the Baghdad airport complex. The complex houses a United States military base and diplomatic facilities. Reported by AFP on Saturday, 7 March 2026, a mysterious group named Saraya Awliyaa al-Dam (Guardians of Blood) said they were behind the attack on the base. The group described the attack as part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, supported by Tehran. Security sources had previously told AFP that the attack was carried out by a drone. Iraqi government security media said in a statement that ‘at 20:20, a number of rockets were launched’ from the Abu Ghraib district near Baghdad. The media said that several rockets ‘fell in an empty area far from Baghdad International Airport’, although it did not specify whether the rockets fell inside or near the military base. A security official later told AFP that ‘two rockets and not a drone’ fell inside the base. The attack did not cause fatalities or significant material damage. Several drones have been intercepted near Baghdad airport since the early stages of the conflict in the Middle East.