US contractor Lockheed Martin has withdrawn its staff from an Iraq base where it had been maintaining the Iraqi army's F-16 fighter jets, military sources said, after a spate of rocket attacks.

At least five attacks have targeted the Balad airbase, where other US companies including Sallyport are also present, since the start of the year.

At least three foreign subcontractors and one Iraqi subcontractor have been wounded.

The attacks are rarely claimed, and when they are it is by obscure groups that experts say are a facade for Iran-backed Iraqi factions.

"On Monday morning, 72 Lockheed Martin technicians left," a high-ranking Iraqi military official told AFP, while a second confirmed the move.

"The technical team in charge of maintenance of the F-16s left the Balad base for Arbil," the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region, the first source added, requesting anonymity.

Baghdad had sent its national security adviser Qassim al-Araji to the Balad base last week to try to reassure the American firm, days after the latest salvo.

Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesman for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, said Lockheed Martin would "continue to advise the Iraqi air force, even remotely", citing contractual obligations.

The United States has provided Iraq with 34 F-16s, all stationed at Balad. It has also trained Iraqi pilots, while American contractors have been in charge of the fleet's upkeep.

Arbil was long considered safer than the rest of Iraq, but the situation has changed recently and Washington has deployed a C-RAM rocket defence system as well as Patriot missiles there, as it has done in Baghdad to protect its troops and diplomats.

In mid-April, pro-Iran fighters sent an explosives-packed drone crashing into Arbil airport in the first reported use of such a weapon against a base housing US troops in Iraq.

The Pentagon has warned that attacks against the US-led coalition rose in the first three months of this year.

"In Iraq, Iran-aligned militias increased their attacks targeting coalition positions and assets this quarter, prompting a temporary departure of US contractors supporting Iraq's F-16 program," it said in a report to Congress released earlier this month.

str-sbh/ah/lg

LOCKHEED MARTIN

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Nobel winner demands justice after UN finds 'genocide' against Yazidis
United Nations (AFP) May 10, 2021
Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad pleaded with the United Nations Security Council on Monday to refer the Islamic State group to the International Criminal Court after UN investigators concluded the extremists committed "genocide" against Yazidis in Iraq. "International tribunals are needed to address the universal magnitude of ISIL crimes against humanity," said Murad, using another acronym for the group. "We asked you to refer this genocide to the ICC or establish a court by treaty. It is t ... read more