WASHINGTON - At least 22 people were killed and 50 others wounded when rockets and mortars struck a dining hall at a U.S. military base in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, U.S. defense officials said on Tuesday.

A defense official at the Pentagon, who asked not to be identified, said it was not yet known how many U.S. troops were among the fatalities in the midday attack on Forward Operating Base Marez.

The official said the casualties were not caused by a single large explosion. "There were an unknown number of rounds in a rocket and mortar attack. It wasn't a car bombing," the official said.

"We don't know the breakdown (of casualties). We don't know if it's U.S., Iraqi, a combination," the official added.

Another official said the base's dining hall was hit in the attack.

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