Tel Aviv. The Iranian proxy terror organizations operating in Iraq and the Gulf region have upgraded their capability to launch rockets.

Among other upgrades, they recently used a “disguised” truck that carried a rocket launcher. The launcher was erected seconds before launch.

A US civilian contractor suffered a heart attack and died during a rocket attack on an air base hosting US, Iraqi and coalition forces in Iraq on March 3, the Pentagon said.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the contractor took shelter during the attack on the Al-Asad air base, which US coalition officials said was targeted by at least 10 rockets.

“Iraqi security forces are on scene and investigating. We cannot attribute responsibility at this time, and we do not have a complete picture of the extent of the damage. We stand by as needed to assist our Iraqi partners as they investigate,” Kirby said.

Kirby said there were “no current reports” of injuries to US service members and said all are accounted for. A damage assessment is underway.

An Israeli source told Raksha Anirveda that the rockets were launched from a “disguised” launcher carried by a truck “the threat could not be detected until seconds before launch when the launcher was erected.”

The attack came less than a week after the US military struck a site in Syria used by two Iranian-backed militia groups in response to rocket attacks on American forces in the region in recent weeks. The February 25 strikes were the US military’s first known action under President Joe Biden.

-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist