Three rockets slammed into the US embassy in Iraq’s capital on Sunday in the first direct hit reported after months of close calls, as thousands of protesters kept up anti-government sit-ins across the country.
The attack marked a dangerous escalation in the spree of rocket attacks in recent months that have targeted the embassy or Iraqi military bases where US troops are deployed.
None of the attacks has been claimed, but Washington has repeatedly blamed Iran-backed military factions in Iraq.
Photo: EPA-EFE
One of Sunday’s rockets hit an embassy cafeteria at dinner time, while two others landed nearby, a security source said.
A senior Iraqi official said at least one person was wounded, but it was not immediately clear how serious the injuries were and whether the person was a US national or an Iraqi staff member.
The US embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the US Department of State called on Iraq to “fulfil its obligations to protect our diplomatic facilities.”
The attack took place earlier in the day than usual, with reporters hearing the booms on the western bank of the Tigris River at precisely 7:30pm.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Halbusi condemned the incident, saying it risked dragging their homeland into war.
Meanwhile, the government’s efforts to crush a months-long anti-government movement continued on Sunday, with security forces using live rounds and tear gas to try to flush protesters out of squares and streets they had occupied for months.
One protester was shot dead in Baghdad and another in the flashpoint southern city of Nasiriyah, medical sources said, and dozens more were wounded across the country.
In the capital, riot police have tried to clear streets around the main protest camp of Tahrir Square, but have yet to enter the symbolic area, where many protesters stood their ground even after tents there were dismantled.
Despite the renewed violence, thousands of students flooded the streets of Baghdad and across the south in a bid to keep national attention focused on their demands.
“Only for you, Iraq!” read a sign held by a young protester in the shrine city of Karbala, hinting at the movement’s insistence on not being affiliated with any political party or outside backer.
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