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| Baghdad’s Green Zone hosts the US, pictured, and other embassies (AFP) |
According to
Iraq’s military, a rocket fired towards Baghdad’s Green Zone, which hosts the
US and other embassies, fell just short of its target, causing damage to a home
and injuring a child early on Sunday,
The attack
comes a little over a week since unprecedented arrests of Iran-backed militia
said to have prevented similar incident
comes a little over a week since unprecedented arrests of Iran-backed militia
said to have prevented similar incident
A military
statement added that security forces at the same time stopped another Katyusha
rocket from being launched at Taji military air base, north of the capital,
which hosts US troops.
statement added that security forces at the same time stopped another Katyusha
rocket from being launched at Taji military air base, north of the capital,
which hosts US troops.
The Baghdad
raid that put Kadhimi and Kataeb Hezbollah on a collision course. No known
Iran-backed groups have claimed responsibility, Reuters reported.
raid that put Kadhimi and Kataeb Hezbollah on a collision course. No known
Iran-backed groups have claimed responsibility, Reuters reported.
A police and a
medical source confirmed that a child had been slightly hurt and that it had
been caused by rockets which landed in the home.
medical source confirmed that a child had been slightly hurt and that it had
been caused by rockets which landed in the home.
The police
source reported that a system of anti-rocketing was created for the defense of
the United States’ Embassy and was tested on Saturday and fired a mid-air
rocket before hitting the Green Zone.
source reported that a system of anti-rocketing was created for the defense of
the United States’ Embassy and was tested on Saturday and fired a mid-air
rocket before hitting the Green Zone.
The Iraqi
security forces raided a headquarters of the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah
militia in southern Baghdad last week, arresting more than a dozen members of
the group on charges of involvement in rocket attacks. Most of whom were
released shortly afterwards.
security forces raided a headquarters of the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah
militia in southern Baghdad last week, arresting more than a dozen members of
the group on charges of involvement in rocket attacks. Most of whom were
released shortly afterwards.
Militias
backed by Iran have come to dominate parts of Iraq’s security institutions,
economy and political life.
backed by Iran have come to dominate parts of Iraq’s security institutions,
economy and political life.
Prime Minister
Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government is favoured by the United States and has
indicated it will back up tough talk against the militias with action.
Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government is favoured by the United States and has
indicated it will back up tough talk against the militias with action.
The government
labeled the operation pre-emptive as an attempt to “maintain the state’s
prestige” by stopping near-daily missile attacks on U.S. embassy and
military bases hosting US troops for months.
labeled the operation pre-emptive as an attempt to “maintain the state’s
prestige” by stopping near-daily missile attacks on U.S. embassy and
military bases hosting US troops for months.
But as
reported on Thursday, Middle East Eye observers wondered whether it would
really have the opposite effect and asked Kadhimi’s gravity in tackling the
semi-official armied factions of his country.
reported on Thursday, Middle East Eye observers wondered whether it would
really have the opposite effect and asked Kadhimi’s gravity in tackling the
semi-official armied factions of his country.
