Iraqi security official: US embassy in Baghdad target of rocket fire
According to an Iraqi security official, at least three rockets were fired at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Friday morning. At around 04:20 (local time, 03:20 CET), "three Katyusha rockets targeting the US embassy near the Green Zone near the Tigris River" struck, the AFP news agency was told by the security official, who wished to remain anonymous.
According to the report, the rockets hit the area bordering the neighborhood where government and diplomatic buildings are located. No one initially claimed responsibility for the attack.
A US military representative confirmed to AFP that an alarm had been triggered near the US embassy in Baghdad and a US base of the international military coalition in the heavily secured Green Zone and that "impacts were probably heard". Official reports of possible casualties and damage to infrastructure were not initially available.
It was the first reported attack on the US embassy in Baghdad since pro-Iranian militias began attacking US or coalition forces in Iraq and neighboring Syria with missiles and drones in mid-October. Around 2,500 US soldiers are stationed in Iraq and 900 in Syria. The US-led military coalition in these countries is intended to help prevent a resurgence of the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS).
Since the attack on Israel by the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, dozens of US soldiers have been injured in a series of attacks on US military bases in Syria and Iraq. Washington blames Iranian-backed forces for the attacks. In response, the US has already attacked positions of pro-Iranian groups in Syria on several occasions.
According to the US Department of Defense, there have been at least 78 missile and drone attacks on US and coalition forces since 17 October.
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The US embassy in Baghdad aims to maintain operations despite facing ongoing security threats, such as the recent rocket attack on Friday morning. The security officer recalled that three Katyusha rockets were fired at the embassy, striking the area near the Tigris River and the Green Zone. Concerned about potential escalations in the Middle East war, the US military increased its alert status and deployed additional security personnel following the rocket fire.
Source: www.ntv.de
