Missile hits U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone, officials say
BAGHDAD — A missile struck inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Saturday, igniting smoke visible over the area and damaging parts of the complex, according to Iraqi security officials.
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An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera the attack destroyed part of the embassy’s air defense system. Separately, two security officials told The Associated Press the projectile hit a helipad within the compound. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy, and it was not clear whether anyone was injured. Videos posted to social media appeared to show smoke rising from the diplomatic compound after the strike.
The blast marked the second time the embassy has come under fire since the start of the war that has embroiled Iraq, long a proxy battleground between the United States and Iran. On Friday, the embassy renewed a Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned armed groups have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure and “may continue to target them.”
Al Jazeera correspondent Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Baghdad, said there was no immediate information on casualties or the full extent of the damage. He added that Iran-aligned groups in Iraq have repeatedly pledged to attack U.S. facilities as part of what they describe as retaliation for the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which they blame on a U.S.-Israeli airstrike at the outset of the war. Abdelwahed also said those groups claimed in a statement Friday to offer a $100,000 reward for information leading to any U.S. diplomatic personnel in the country and alleged some personnel were taking shelter in civilian homes. Those assertions could not be independently verified.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Saturday’s strike. The U.S. Embassy complex — one of Washington’s largest diplomatic missions worldwide — has been targeted multiple times by rockets and drones in recent years. Several Tehran-backed militias operating under the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” banner have claimed frequent drone and rocket attacks on U.S. and coalition sites across the region since the war began.
The embassy incident came shortly after two separate strikes hit positions of Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-aligned Iraqi faction, killing two members including a “key figure,” according to security sources who spoke to the AFP news agency. U.S. forces have repeatedly targeted Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Syria, while those militias have launched attacks on American and coalition facilities, underscoring the risk of further escalation.
Saturday’s attack further highlights the volatility in Baghdad’s core government district, home to Iraq’s top institutions and foreign missions. The Green Zone is heavily guarded and ringed by checkpoints, but remains a frequent target in cycles of reprisal between Iran-aligned militants and U.S. forces.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
