Iraqi Air Force transport aircraft damaged in rocket strike

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi Air Force An-32B military transport aircraft was damaged in a rocket strike on Shaheed Alaa Air Base, the military section of Baghdad International Airport, after midnight, according to the Tactical Cell, an independent military research group.

The aircraft was parked on the runway when one of the rockets struck its right wing, the group said. The strikes coincided with rockets and drones launched by Iraqi factions targeting the U.S. Diplomatic Support Center near the airport. Authorities later found launch platforms for 122mm Grad rockets fired from the Diyala Bridge area, southeast of Baghdad.

The Iraqi Air Force operates six An-32B Cline aircraft, used for tactical military transport and, in some configurations, ground attack missions.

The strike is the latest in a series of attacks on the airport complex since the regional war began Feb. 28. The Victory Base Complex adjacent to the airport has been repeatedly struck, including a major attack in March that sparked a large fire visible across the capital. Five rockets struck the airport itself on March 16, wounding five people and prompting Prime Minister Sudani to order the replacement of sector commanders.