Drone, rocket attack targets US embassy in Baghdad

Several loud explosions were heard on Tuesday evening in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, AFP journalists reported, with a security official reporting a drone and rocket attack on the US embassy.

In a restaurant in the city, where diners did not react to the initial sounds of the blasts, a witness told AFP he saw detonations caused by the embassy’s air defences intercepting projectiles.

Another witness saw a fire on the edge of the embassy grounds from her balcony, with the blaze also reported by the security official, who said it was caused by a drone.

“The embassy was the target of a drone and rocket attack,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Another drone, targeting the US diplomatic and logistics centre at Baghdad airport, was shot down, according to a security official.

Shortly after the incidents, the powerful Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group issued a statement demanding that every “foreign soldier” leave the country.

“Iraq’s instability is due to the malicious American presence, and security will not be achieved until the last foreign soldier leaves Iraqi territory,” the group’s new security chief, Abou Moujahed al-Assaf, said.

He added: “Either everyone enjoys security, or no one does.”

Iraq was drawn into the Middle East war after having long been a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran.

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Strikes have targeted Iran-backed groups, which in turn have claimed daily attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the region.

In recent days, pro-Iranian armed groups have carried out several attacks against the US embassy, located in a heavily fortified area of central Baghdad, and against an American diplomatic and logistics centre at the city’s international airport.

On Monday evening into early Tuesday morning, attacks targeted the US diplomatic mission, while a drone crashed into a luxury hotel popular with foreign diplomats.

AFP