Iraqi forces say no casualties reported in Iranian missile strike

14:54, January 08, 2020

• 

  Trump says no US casualties in Iran's missiles attack

  Photo: US President Donald Trump speaks about the situation with Iran in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, DC, January 8, 2020. /AFPWASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that no U.S. casualties were resulted from Irans missiles attack against U.S. forces in Iraq on Tuesday.He said that the United States will impose powerful economic sanctions against Iran.

• 

  Iraqi president condemns Iranian strikes on military bases in Iraq

  (Photo: AP)BAGHDAD, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Barham Salih on Wednesday condemned the Iranian missile strikes on military bases housing US forces in Iraq.In a statement by his office, Salih said "the Presidency is following with deep concern the latest development and condemns the Iranian missile strikes on Iraqi soil."The Presidency "renews its rejection of repeated breach of national sovereignty, and turning Iraq into a battleground for the conflicting parties," according to the statement.Salih called on all parties to exercise restraint and resort to dialogue to avoid war that threatens the security and peace of the region and the world, the statement said.Salih said that the presence of the international coalition forces in Iraq was based on the agreements concluded between the Iraqi government and the coalition countries to combat terrorism, the statement added.Salihs statement came after Iran fired ballistic missiles earlier on the day on military bases housing US troops in Iraqs western province of Anbar and near the city of Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.On Friday, a US drone attacked a convoy near Baghdad International Airport, killing Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraqs paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.More than 5,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising for the Iraqi forces.

• 

  Canadian PM says Iranian missile brought down airliner

  Debris is seen from an Ukrainian plane which crashed as rescue workers search the scene in Shahedshahr, southwest of the capital Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020.(Photo: AP)Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday "multiple" intelligence sources indicate that Iran shot down a Ukrainian airliner after it took off from Tehran, killing all 176 on board, including 63 Canadians.Trudeaus comments came as images posted on social media increasingly pointed to a catastrophic mistake by Tehrans air defense batteries bringing the down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in flames Wednesday.Citing information from allies as well as Canadas own intelligence, the prime minister said the plane appeared to have been hit by an Iranian surface-to-air (SAM) missile."We know this may have been unintentional. Canadians have questions, and they deserve answers," Trudeau told reporters.The prime minister was backed by other Western leaders, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who said mounting evidence supported a missile strike, which "may well have been unintentional."US President Donald Trump indicated that Washington officials believed the Kiev-bound Boeing 737 was struck by one or more Iranian missiles before it ditched and exploded outside Tehran.Flight PS752 went down just minutes after takeoff from Tehran airport in the dark early Wednesday, with no radio message from the pilot to indicate distress, according to the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization.It was carrying 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, four Afghans, three Germans and three Britons.The disaster unfolded amid worries of a possible war between the United States and Iran, just hours after Tehran launched ballistic missiles at American military targets in Iraq in retaliation for the January 3 US drone strike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian general.The Iranian government said the missile strike scenario made &quo...