BAGHDAD, Dec 8 (Reuters) – The U.S. embassy in Baghdad was attacked with two salvos of rockets on Friday morning however there have been no casualties, an embassy spokesperson mentioned.
The assault was believed to have been carried out by Iran-aligned militias in Iraq, the spokesperson mentioned. No group instantly claimed duty.
It was the primary reported rocket assault in opposition to the embassy since an umbrella group of Iran-aligned Shi’ite Muslim militias initiated assaults in opposition to U.S. forces on army bases in Iraq and neighbouring Syria in mid-October.
The armed teams, working below the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, have linked greater than 70 such assaults to Washington’s backing of Israel in its devastating assault on Gaza.
“We once more name on the Authorities of Iraq, as we’ve got completed on many events, to do all in its energy to guard diplomatic and Coalition companion personnel and services,” the embassy spokesperson mentioned.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed safety companies to pursue the perpetrators, describing them as “unruly, lawless teams that don’t in any approach characterize the need of the Iraqi individuals,” an announcement from his workplace mentioned.
He additionally mentioned that undermining Iraq’s stability, repute and concentrating on locations Iraq has dedicated to guard have been acts of terrorism.
Explosions have been heard close to the embassy, within the centre of Iraq’s capital, at about 4 a.m. on Friday. Sirens calling on individuals to take cowl have been activated, in response to social media movies from the scene.
Except for its diplomatic workers in Iraq, the US has about 2,500 troops within the nation on a mission it says goals to advise and help native forces making an attempt to forestall a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized massive swathes of each nations earlier than being defeated.
“We reiterate that we reserve the fitting to self-defence and to guard our personnel anyplace on the earth,” the spokeperson mentioned.
The U.N. mission in Iraq condemned the assault. “Iraq can’t afford to be drawn right into a wider battle, which might threaten hard-won stability and the achievements made to this point,” it mentioned in a social media submit.
Reporting by Timour Azhari; Modifying by Gerry Doyle and Angus MacSwan
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.
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