Iraqi forces seize rocket launch platform in Kirkuk, foiling attack

KIRKUK — A force from Kirkuk Operations Command seized a rocket launch platform equipped with two launch rails and four Katyusha rockets prepared for immediate use on Sunday, thwarting a planned attack based on intelligence tips, the command said.

The operation targeted the Huzairan area within the sector of the 11th Infantry Division, close to a Kirkuk police checkpoint. A joint force surrounded and secured the site, preventing the rockets from being launched and seizing all materials. No casualties were reported.

The command said the operation is part of ongoing efforts to pursue “terrorist elements and thwart their sabotage plans.”

The seizure comes as Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups have launched repeated drone, rocket and missile attacks across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region since the war began Feb. 28, targeting U.S. personnel, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, residential areas and Kurdish leadership sites. Recent attacks include strikes near the U.S. consulate in Erbil and Saturday’s drone attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Duhok, which drew condemnation from the United States, the EU, the UK, Jordan, the UAE and Syria.