© Reuters. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi meets with Iraq’s President Barham Salih after a drone assault on PM’s residence in Baghdad, Iraq, November 7, 2021. REUTERS/Iraqi Prime Minister Media Workplace/Handout through REUTERS
By John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped unhurt in an assassination try by armed drone in Baghdad, officers mentioned on Sunday, in an incident that dramatically raises stress within the nation weeks after a basic election disputed by Iran-backed militia teams.
Kadhimi appeared in a video footage printed by his workplace on Sunday chairing a gathering with high safety commanders to debate the drone assault.
“The cowardly terrorist assault that focused the house of the prime minister final night time with the intention of assassinating him, is a critical concentrating on of the Iraqi state by felony armed teams,” the premier’s workplace mentioned in an announcement issued following the assembly.
Six members of Kadhimi’s private safety pressure stationed exterior his residence within the Inexperienced Zone had been wounded, safety sources advised Reuters.
Three drones had been used within the assault, together with two that had been intercepted and downed by safety forces whereas a 3rd drone hit the residence, state information company INA quoted an inside ministry spokesman as saying.
A spokesman for the armed forces commander in chief mentioned the safety state of affairs was secure contained in the fortified Inexperienced Zone – which homes the residence, authorities buildings and overseas embassies – following the assault.
No group instantly claimed accountability.
The assault got here two days after violent clashes in Baghdad between authorities forces and supporters of Iran-backed political events, most of which have armed wings, since these teams misplaced dozens of seats in parliament after a basic election on Oct. 10.
Kadhimi has ordered an investigation into the deaths and accidents of demonstrators and safety forces in these clashes.
President Barham Salih condemned the assault as a heinous crime in opposition to Iraq. “We can not settle for that Iraq will probably be dragged into chaos and a coup in opposition to its constitutional system,” he mentioned in a tweet.
Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose social gathering was the largest winner in final month’s election, known as the assault a terrorist act in opposition to Iraq’s stability that aimed to “return Iraq to a state of chaos to be managed by non-state forces”.
The USA, Saudi Arabia and Iran condemned the assault.
DAMAGE TO RESIDENCE
Photos printed by INA confirmed injury to some components of the prime minister’s residence and a broken SUV car parked within the storage.
Stays of a small explosive-laden drone had been retrieved by safety forces to be investigated, a safety official with information of the assault advised Reuters.
“It is untimely now to say who carried out the assault,” the safety official on situation of anonymity as he was not approved to touch upon safety particulars.
“We’re checking our intelligence experiences and ready for preliminary investigation outcomes to level the finger at perpetrators.”
The Iraqi army mentioned in an announcement the assault focused Kadhimi’s residence and that he was in “good well being”. It supplied no additional element.
Two authorities officers mentioned Kadhimi’s residence had been hit by at the very least one explosion.
Western diplomats based mostly close by within the Inexperienced Zone mentioned they heard explosions and gunfire within the space.
U.S. CONDEMNATION
The USA provided help with the investigation.
“This obvious act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed on the coronary heart of the Iraqi state,” U.S. State Division spokesman Ned Worth mentioned in an announcement.
Saudi Arabia’s overseas ministry mentioned the assault was a “cowardly terrorist act”, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported.
Iran’s high safety official, Ali Shamkhani, condemned the assault, calling it “a brand new sedition” in a tweet.
The teams main protests and complaints about the results of the Oct. 10 vote are closely armed Iran-backed militias that misplaced a lot of their parliamentary energy within the election. They’ve alleged voting and vote-counting irregularities, allegations rejected by the nation’s election officers.
Demonstrations by their supporters turned violent on Friday when protesters pelted police with stones close to the Inexperienced Zone, injuring a number of officers.
The police responded with tear gasoline and reside gunfire, killing at the very least one demonstrator, in accordance with safety and hospital sources in Baghdad.
Impartial analysts say the election outcomes had been a mirrored image of anger in the direction of the Iran-backed armed teams, that are extensively accused of involvement within the killing of almost 600 protesters who took the road in separate, anti-government demonstrations in 2019.
