2 rockets hit military base near Baghdad

Baghdad, March 17 (IANS) Iraqi military said on Tuesday that two rockets hit a military base housing international coalition forces near Baghdad.The rockets on Monday evening struck the Bismayah Camp, the media office affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said, without giving further details, reports Xinhua news agency.The rockets were launched from an area near al-Nahrawan Brick Factory southeast of Baghdad, the statement said.The camp is the second largest military base for training the Iraqi army after the al-Taji Camp.No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, as the military bases housing US troops across Iraq and the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad have come under frequent mortar and rocket attacks.Monday's incident came after several rocket attacks targeted military bases housing international coalition forces, including the one on the camp Taji that killed two US soldiers and a British service member last week.Over 5,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq to support local forces in battles against the Islamic State, mainly for training and advisory purposes.
--IANS ksk/