Washington [US], August 9: The US military said on August 8 that modern F-22 stealth fighters had arrived in the Middle East, as Washington increased its forces amid the volatile security situation in the region, according to AFP.
Central Command said the deployment was part of "regional force posture changes designed to mitigate the potential for regional escalation by Iran or its proxies."
However, the US military has not specified the exact number or location of the F-22 fighters deployed. Last week, the Pentagon said that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had ordered the deployment of additional forces, including warships and fighter jets, to the region.
The moves come as Iran and its allies are expected to launch an attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of senior Hamas and Hezbollah figures.
Seven US soldiers were also injured in the rocket attack, which Washington blamed on Tehran-backed groups.
Anonymous US officials said several US soldiers were injured in an attack with two Kayutsha rockets on Ayn Al-Asad air base in western Iraq on August 5.
Regarding the incident, Iraqi officials said on August 8 that security forces had arrested five suspects "after an in-depth legal investigation and listening to witness statements," according to Reuters.
However, the Iraqi side has not provided further details about the suspects or which group they belong to.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper