The US military responded to an attack by an Iran-backed militant group by deploying a AC-130J Ghostrider. The group had utilized a ballistic missile to target U.S. and coalition forces at Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, as announced by the deputy Pentagon press secretary.
The ballistic missile strike caused non-serious injuries to U.S. and coalition forces, along with minor damage to infrastructure on the installation, according to Sabrina Singh, who provided this information during a briefing at the Pentagon. The US military responded
In response to the attack, a U.S. military AC-130 aircraft conducted a self-defense strike against an Iranian-backed militia vehicle and several militia personnel involved in the assault, leading to fatalities among the hostile forces, stated Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon press secretary. The quick response of the AC-130 gunship was attributed to its already airborne status at the time of the missile attack.
Singh explained, “We were able to identify the point of origin of these attacks because an AC-130 was up already in the area and therefore was able to respond.” The gunship was able to monitor the movements of the militants, observing them as they entered their vehicles, enabling a prompt response.
Since October 17, U.S. forces have faced 66 attacks in both Iraq and Syria, with this incident marking the first use of a ballistic missile similar to the one employed in the recent attack on Al-Asad Airbase.