ADDS IRAQI PRESIDENCY, PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, IRAQ'S KRG LEADER REMARKS
By Michael Hernandez, Ali Jawad and Zehra Nur Duz
WASHINGTON / BAGHDAD/ ISTANBUL (AA) – Three coalition personnel were killed in a rocket attack on an Iraqi base, the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve confirmed Wednesday.
At least 12 personnel were wounded in the attack on Camp Taji.
The dead included two Americans and one British national, according to multiple reports.
"The attack is under investigation by the Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces," said the anti-Daesh coalition in a statement.
A coalition spokesman earlier Wednesday confirmed the attack, saying more than 15 small rockets hit the base, which houses coalition troops at 7.35 a.m. local time (1635GMT).
Col. Myles Caggins did not provide an assessment of the number wounded or killed.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi presidency and parliament slammed the attack.
In a statement, the Iraqi presidency said it "condemns the terrorist attack on Camp Taji… as it targeted Iraq and its security."
"We stress the need to conduct full investigations to determine the attack's motives and capture the elements responsible for it," it added.
Iraq's Parliament Speaker Mohamed Al-Halbousi called for strict measures to protect the bases of the international coalition in the country.
Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) leader Nechirvan Barzani also “strongly” condemned the rocket attack.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and their countries and reiterate that this assault is an alarming development, which will harm Iraq’s interests and security,” Barzani said in a written statement.
Barzani stressed the attack was carried out at a time when “terror resurgence is looming” and Daesh/ISIS continues to pose a challenge to the security and stability of Iraq and the wider region.
“Iraq still needs the support of the global coalition to confront threat,” he said.
Barzani urged the authorities to identify the offenders of this attack, bring those responsible to justice and to restrain the maintenance of such attacks and hostilities, which will lead to “further instability” in the region.
* Servet Gunerigok in Washington and Ali Abo Rezeg in Ankara contributed to this story
