Rocket fire kills one US contractor in Iraq

BAGHDAD: A rocket attack in Iraq killed a US civilian contractor on Saturday, raising fears that violence could worsen in the protest-hit country that has been embroiled in decades of its worst political crisis.

Since Washington withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran last year and imposed crippling sanctions, tensions between the US and Iran have soared.

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Recently, Washington promised “a decisive US response” to an increasing number of unclaimed attacks on its interests in Iraq, which it accuses on pro-Iran factions. Iraq which is, close to the US and Iran runs the risk of being caught in the center.

US officials on Saturday said that A 30-rocket barrage was fired at the Iraqi K1 army base in Kirkuk, an oil-rich region north of Baghdad.

Following the incident, one civilian contractor of the U.S. has been killed and several US service members and Iraqi staff have been injured.” said the US-led international coalition against the militant group of Islamic State.

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US officials said that a direct hit on an ammunition depot triggered secondary explosions and at the launch point, four more rockets were found in their tubes in a truck.