The United States will do what it views as necessary to defend its interests after a rocket attack against Iraq's Ain al-Sada airbase, which hosts American, coalition and Iraqi forces, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday.
The attack, which was the second in several weeks, took place earlier in March. Pro-Iranian militias were believed to be responsible for the incident. The US attacked several sites in Syria affiliated with Shiite militias shortly after the first incident in February, in which a contractor was killed.
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Speaking on ABC's "This Week" program, Austin said the US was urging Iraq to quickly investigate the incident and determine who was responsible.
"We'll strike, if that's what we think we need to do, at a time and place of our own choosing. We demand the right to protect our troops," he said, adding that Iran would have to draw its own conclusions if and when the United States acts.
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