American troops at Al Asad air base in Iraq knew that an Iranian attack was coming two-and-a-half hours before missiles struck the base.
Forces at the base were either flown out of Al Asad or were sheltering in bunkers by 11 p.m. before the attack came, according to CNN. The first round of missiles targeting the base began Wednesday at about 1:30 a.m. Though they knew an attack was coming, the troops at the base didn’t know how the attack would be carried out.
The Iranians also attacked a base in Irbil, Iraq, the same night, lobbing more than a dozen short-range ballistic missiles at the two military installations. No casualties were reported at either base.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Wednesday that Iran intended to “kill personnel,” but air defense systems allowed for “a little bit of early warning” before the missiles struck.
“I believe, based on what I saw and what I know, is that they were intended to cause structural damage, destroy vehicles and equipment and aircraft, and to kill personnel,” Milley said.
That same day, Iran said it “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian airliner, which killed all 176 people on board. Victims of Wednesday’s crash included 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans, and three British nationals.
