Today, Saturday morning, the international coalition forces against the Islamic State led by the United States handed over a base in Bismayah Military, south of Baghdad, to Iraqi forces, and the military base was attacked on Friday by 4 Katyusha rockets, the Iraqi army announced in an official statement.
State television said, "The US-led international coalition forces surrendered their camp at Basmah to Iraqi forces." He did not specify the direction the coalition forces withdrew.
Today, the Joint Operations Command confirmed that the handover of the coalition site in Bessamah came within a timetable.
The Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted a spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, as saying that the handover of the site of the Spanish forces within the International Alliance in Basmaya camp came according to a timetable prepared between the government and the leadership of the alliance, pointing out that this camp is the seventh site that the international coalition delivered to Iraq.
Al-Khafaji added that the Spanish forces - which were operating this site - assumed responsibility for training the Iraqi security forces there, indicating that these forces would leave Iraq after they finished their duties.
He explained that there are other sites that will be handed over to the Iraqi security forces from the leadership of the international coalition.
The leadership of the International Alliance announced today the handover of its position in Bismayah camp, while praising the role of the Iraqi forces in combating terrorism.
Over the past months, the international coalition forces handed over 6 western and northern military bases and sites to the Iraqi forces.
4 missiles
The handover of the base comes a day after 4 Katyusha rockets fell on it, and the attack resulted in no injuries.
The Iraqi Security Media Cell said on Friday that 4 missiles fell on a camp for Iraqi and Spanish forces operating within the international coalition south of Baghdad.
She added that the attack did not cause casualties, and that information indicates that the rockets were launched from Diyala Governorate (east of Baghdad).
Missile attacks - launched by Iraqi militants on targets including diplomats and US soldiers - have been repeated for months.
The frequency of these attacks has increased since the assassination of both the Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, and the leader of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Organization, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, in a US air raid in Baghdad on January 3.
Washington accuses the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades and other factions close to Iran of being behind the attacks, but no known armed group from the Iranian-backed groups has claimed responsibility for any of those attacks.