Explained: Key facts about US’s al-Asad air base in Iraq, attacked by Iran

Training at al-Asad air base

US troops have trained Iraqi troops at the base, located in Anbar province northwest of Baghdad, as part of Washington’s bid to build a force that could mount an offensive against Islamic State militants.

Aside from US and Iraqi forces, the air base has also hosted US-led coalition partners Denmark and the United Kingdom.

Al-Asad air base has hosted Donald Trump

Over the Christmas holidays in 2018, US President Donald Trump stopped there and made remarks to troops during a surprise visit to Iraq, his first journey to a conflict zone since taking office in January 2017.

During Trump’s trip, he defended his decision to withdraw 2,000 troops from Syria. That policy shift sparked concern from allies and spurred James Mattis, his defense secretary at the time, to resign.

Al-Asad air base has been attacked before

In 2015, the base came under regular harassing mortar fire from Islamic State militants. The same year, the air base was attacked by 25 Islamic State fighters, but the Pentagon said at the time that Iraqi security forces guarding the perimeter killed most of the combatants.

Five rockets landed on the air base last month but did not cause any casualties.

Reports circulated last week that the air base had come under attack. Sources told Reuters, however, that reports of an attack on the base were false.

Don’t miss from Explained: The nominal GDP worry