Suspects in Ain al-Asad airbase attack released due to ‘insufficient evidence’

ANBAR — Iraqi authorities have released all suspects previously detained in connection with the attack on the Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar, according to a security source on Tuesday. The source informed 964Media that the five individuals “were released due to insufficient evidence linking them to the incident,” which occurred on August 5, injuring seven U.S. personnel after two rockets struck the facility.

The suspects, all residents of Haditha in Anbar province, have been reunited with their families following the judicial decision. Their detention had been publicly announced by the Iraqi Security Media Cell the day following the attack.

The announcement comes just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani discussed Iraq’s commitment to “prevent any actions that could destabilize security or endanger the advisors of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Iraq.”

Ain al-Asad airbase, a frequent target of rocket attacks, hosts both U.S. and coalition forces. Initial investigations into the Aug. 5 assault revealed that the rockets were launched from a modified vehicle in the Haditha district. Security forces subsequently located the vehicle, identified as a Kia truck equipped with a launcher that had failed to deploy three additional rockets.

In response to the attack, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated, “The United States will not tolerate attacks on our personnel in the region.” He emphasized that Washington remains confident that an Iran-backed militia was behind the assault, underscoring a strategic adjustment in U.S. military posture to “strengthen our force protection, to reinforce our ironclad commitment to the defense of Israel, and to remain prepared to respond to any contingency.”

Since the escalation of the Israel-Palestine conflict on October 7, there have been over 165 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria attributed to pro-Iranian militias. While the frequency of these assaults diminished after April, they have seen a resurgence since late July, highlighting ongoing regional tensions.

The situation in Iraq remains tense, with international stakeholders closely monitoring the developments, especially after the assassination of key figures linked to Hamas and Hezbollah. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of pro-Iran groups, has claimed responsibility for the majority of these attacks, declaring them acts of solidarity with Palestinians.