INTERNACIONAL
Rockets launched at US forces stationed at Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq
Four rockets struck Thursday near Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, which houses U.S. troops, but there were no reported injuries, and there was no damage to the base, Fox News has learned.
A U.S. defense official told Fox News none of the rockets landed inside the base.
The attack comes just days after U.S. and Iraqi officials met at a Pentagon summit to discuss when the coalition against ISIS in Iraq could end and transition to a bilateral security relationship with some U.S. troops likely remaining.
ISIS REMAINS GLOBAL THREAT A DECADE AFTER DECLARING CALIPHATE, US MILITARY OFFICIAL SAYS
Iraqi security forces at Ain al-Asad airbase near a military helicopter in Anbar province, Iraq, Dec. 29, 2019. (Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani )
Iraqi factions aligned with Iran have called on all 2,500 U.S. troops that remain in the country to withdraw.
The attack on the airbase also comes just one day after fighter jets intercepted two Russian Tu-95 «Bear» bombers and two Chinese H-6 bombers off the coast of Alaska.
IRAQ ASKS UN TO ABANDON POLITICAL MISSION IN BAGHDAD
U.S. Army soldiers train at al-Asad air base in western Iraq. (U.S. Army )
NORAD fighter jets from the United States and Canada conducted the interception.
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A picture taken Jan. 13, 2020, during a press tour organized by the U.S.-led coalition fighting the remnants of the Islamic State group, shows U.S. soldiers clearing rubble at Ain al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. (Ayman Henna)
Iran-backed factions in Iraq have targeted U.S. troops at bases in the country dozens of times since the start of the Israel-Gaza War in October with a slowdown since February.
Fox News’ Stephany Prince and Reuters contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Was a beloved whale suspected of being a Russian ‘spy’ killed in Norway?
Havldimir quickly became a celebrity in Norway, swimming his way into their Nordic hearts.
But this beluga whale’s odd story started in 2019 when he was discovered in northern Norway near the island of Ingoya wearing a harness with «Equipment St Petersburg» written in English connected to a mount for a small camera.
Hvaldimir, as Norwegians dubbed him – mixing together the Norwegian word for whale and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s name – was intelligent, friendly and responded to hand signals, leading Norway’s spy agency to believe he had been held in captivity by Russia and used for research purposes.
Once Hvaldimir was freed from his harness, though, his friendly personality made him beloved in the country.
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED WHALE SEEN OFF CALIFORNIA COAST: ‘EVERY SIGHTING IS INCREDIBLE VALUABLE TO US’
Hvaldimir was found in 2019 wearing a harness with a camera mount on it. (Jorgen Ree Wiig/Sea Surveillance Service/Handout/NTB Scanpix via Reuters/File Photo)
He was fed and monitored by the Norwegian government and dubbed a «free-swimming whale» by the Norwegian Orca Survey, venturing as far as Sweden but always returning home, according to The Telegraph.
Hvaldimir was found dead off southern Norway last weekend.
«It’s absolutely horrible,» marine biologist Sebastian Strand, who worked with Marine Mind, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. «He was apparently in good condition as of (Friday), so we just have to figure out what might have happened here.»
BREACHING WHALE CAPSIZES BOAT AFTER LANDING ON TOP OF IT OFF NEW HAMPSHIRE, SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS
Hvaldimir, being fed here, became beloved in Norway. (orgen Ree Wiig, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP)
Hvaldimir may have died of natural causes, but conservation groups NOAH and One Whale have filed police reports claiming he was shot, according to the Telegraph.
The Oceanic Preservation Society said that a necropsy will be done on Hvaldimir to determine his cause of death in the next few weeks.
«We’ve been absolutely devastated over the news, and are deeply saddened that humanity failed this beloved whale,» the organization said on social media.
He was fed and monitored by the Norwegian government and dubbed a «free-swimming whale» by the Norwegian Orca Survey, venturing as far as Sweden but always returning home. (Jorgen Ree Wiig, Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries via AP)
Nonprofit Marine Mind said on Facebook that Hvaldimir «bridged the gap» between humans and wild animals in a way «few can.»
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«Hvaldimir was not just a beluga whale; he was a beacon of hope, a symbol of connection, and a reminder of the deep bond between humans and the natural world,» the organization said. «Over the past five years, he touched the lives of tens of thousands, bringing people together in awe of the wonders of nature. His presence taught us about the importance of ocean conservation, and in doing so, he also taught us more about ourselves.»
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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