BAGHDAD, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Saturday foiled a missile attack on Ayn al-Asad air base in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a statement by the Joint Operations Command said.

Units from the Iraqi army's seventh brigade found in the hills of al-Doulab area three Grad missiles with a timer attached to them and pointed to the direction of Ayn al-Asad air base, where U.S.-led coalition forces are also stationed, the statement said.

"The Iraqi troops managed to disarm the missiles with only 15 minutes left ahead of their pre-set launch time," the statement added.

There was no further information about how the Iraqi troops discovered the missiles.

Ayn al-Asad, previously named al-Qadisiyah, is the second largest air base in Iraq situated near al-Baghdadi town, some 110 km west of the provincial capital Ramadi, and it has the largest number of U.S. troops in Iraq, along with others from coalition members.

On Dec. 26, U.S. President Donald Trump paid a surprise visit to the U.S. troops stationed in the air base during Christmas time.

The troops are part of an anti-Islamic State (IS) global coalition which has been fighting and conducting airstrikes against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria.