Barrage of rockets hits US-Iraqi base south of Baghdad, injuring 2, damaging equipment

10 rockets strike American-Iraqi base; 2 injured

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military says a barrage of rockets has struck a joint American-Iraqi base south of Baghdad, injuring at least two people and damaging equipment.

The military says about 10 rockets struck Camp Sparrowhawk, near the town of Amarrah. It says the attack began early Saturday morning.

The rocket attack is the first major strike against a U.S. base in months, and it comes a day after an Iraqi-U.S. raid searching for weapons smugglers at a nearby village left at least five people dead.

Maj. Myles Caggins, a military spokesman, says the rockets have injured two Iraqi soldiers. He also says there was minor damage to equipment.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A political coalition led by one of the Iraqi prime minister’s fiercest critics has temporarily halted its campaign for next month’s parliamentary elections after a number of its candidates were barred from running.

Spokesman Haydar al-Mulla said Saturday the Iraqi National Movement suspended campaigning for three days while it attempts to negotiate the return of its candidates.

Hundreds have been barred from contesting the March 7 vote because of suspicions they had ties to Saddam Hussein’s regime. The ban is seen as an attempt by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s Shiite-dominated government to target Sunnis.

One of the Iraqi National Movement’s leaders, Sunni lawmaker Salah al-Mutlaq, has been critical of al-Maliki and is on the blacklist.