Extent of Iranian missile attack on US bases in Iraq revealed in chilling new images of craters as troops begin clear up

AMERICAN troops were today clearing rubble and debris from one of the US military bases struck by a barrage of Iranian missiles launched during a revenge attack.

Last week's surprise strikes were aimed at the Asad and Erbil compounds in Iraq in retaliation for the US's drone-strike assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Immediately afterwards, Tehran bragged it had given America a "slap in the face" during the early morning 15 rocket onslaught.

And for the first time the full extent of the damage can be seen in these chilling pictures.

An Associated Press crew were allowed into the Asad base to photograph large missile craters and mangled pieces of military equipment.

They also captured bulldozers lifting rubble and loading it onto trucks from a large area the size of a football pitch.

US soldiers are also seen inspecting housing units destroyed and burned by the missile attack.

The air base in Iraq's western Anbar province is a sprawling complex about 110 miles west of Baghdad shared with the Iraqi military and housing about 1,500 troops tasked with fighting ISIS.

It was struck by Iranian missiles on Wednesday in Iran's most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US Embassy in Tehran.

The proxy attack raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East although both sides have since then indicated that neither side would seek further retaliation.

There were multiple missiles fired and the impact hit several areas along the airfield, revealed Colonel Myles Caggins.

He added the explosions created large craters, knocked over concrete barriers and destroyed facilities which house dozens of soldiers.

One of the missiles hit near an airstrip where six drones were parked but caused no damage.

Although no soldiers were killed, he said several were treated for concussions in the wake of the attack.

Caggins added that troops received notification the missiles were on their way thanks to early warning systems, and troops were moved out of harm's way.

He described soldiers who lived through the attack as warriors.

The Asad air base was first used by American forces after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

President Donald Trump visited the sprawling air base in December 2018, making his first presidential visit to troops in the region.

Lt. Col. Antoinette Chase told reporters the night of the attacks the troops were hunkered down in bunkers because they had gotten advance warning, but could feel everything shaking.

She said troops had conducted a drill on something similar the week prior to the attack and that they had received some warnings earlier in the day.

"I had zero casualties and everybody is alive to tell the tale. So as far as I'm concerned, I couldn't be happier," she added.

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