Camp Bastion Attacked With Rockets By Insurgents

Insurgents Launch Rocket Attack On Camp Bastion

Insurgents launched a rocket attack on Camp Bastion, the military base in Afghanistan which houses British troops.

The heavily fortified base, where around 4,000 coalition troops are based, was targeted at about 6.30pm local time on Wednesday as darkness fell.

Damage was caused but a spokesman for Taskforce Helmand said no one had been injured or killed.

British troops are based at Camp Bastion

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that a rocket attack against Camp Bastion took place on February 27, 2013. No significant damage or casualties have been reported as a result of this incident."

Multiple explosions could be heard minutes after the fire alarm sounded inside the sprawling desert base.

Forty minutes later the all-clear was announced and troops were directed to search their immediate area for unexploded ordnance and casualties.

Last September two US Marines were killed and six Harrier jets destroyed after militants breached the perimeter fence and attacked through Camp Leatherneck - the US headquarters next to Camp Bastion.

The Taliban said Prince Harry who was in theatre as an Apache helicopter pilot at the time, was the intended target but Nato officials said the young royal was never in any danger.

Insurgents claimed the attack which resulted in a four-hour fire-fight that has become known as the 'Battle of Bastion' was in response to an amateur US-made film mocking Islam.

Last March US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta also escaped injury after an attempted suicide bomb attack as his plane touched down at Camp Bastion.

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