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On Monday, the U.S. Central Command released newly unclassified footage of Iranian missiles raining down on U.S. forces last year in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
The video, taken from drone overhead, shows the different positions of U.S. forces and aircraft on Jan. 8, 2020 at the moment 11 ballistic missiles began striking the American targets at the joint U.S.-Iraqi Al Asad Airbase in western Iraq where 2,000 U.S. troops were based.
The first strikes destroyed six air maintenance facility structures, according to the video. The second strike location destroyed more air maintenance facilities, in addition to personnel offices and living areas. More air maintenance facilities and personnel areas were destroyed at other locations.
The video was released one day after appearing on a 60 Minutes special, which included interviews with troops on the ground during the attack – and videos taken from troops themselves during the attack.
One of the troops, Army Maj. Alan Johnson said he took cover in bunkers capable of protecting troops from warheads weighing 60 pounds – not the 1,000-pound warheads carried by the Iranian missiles.
“Words can’t even describe the amount of energy that is released by these, these missiles,” Johnson told 60 Minutes. “Knocked the wind out of me followed by the most putrid tasting ammonia tasting dust that swept through the bunker coated your teeth.”
Johnson was so certain of his death, he recorded a farewell message to his son.
“The fire was just rolling over the bunkers, you know, like 70 feet in the air,” Johnson recounted, adding he thought “we’re going to burn to death.”
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