Report: 5 rockets hit near U.S. Embassy in Iraqi capital

Five Katyusha rockets were fired Sunday night at the heavily fortified Green Zone at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad but did not cause any injuries or serious damage U.S. Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

The Associated Press reported that one rocket landed inside the embassy walls.

The State Department released a statement that said there have been 14 attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq since September. It also called on Iraq to “fulfill its obligations to protect our diplomatic facilities.”

US embassy in Baghdad is a huge complex. So, this reporting needs more detail. When I was there in 2005, there were mortar rockets fired into the green zone every day. Rocket/mortar fire now has a different implication, of course. But more info is needed. #iraq #iran https://t.co/ccZOTf0bFH

— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) January 26, 2020

The State Department did not directly blame Tehran for the rocket strikes, but the statement made reference to Iranian threats in the region and past attacks by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. interests. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi condemned the attack in a statement, calling it an “aggression” that could “drag Iraq into becoming a war zone.”

A rocket attack on the heavily fortified Baghdad Green Zone on Sunday hit the U.S. Embassy, drawing condemnation from Iraq’s acting prime minister, who said such acts against could threaten to drag the country into a new conflict.https://t.co/GOnNcgr1IU

— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) January 27, 2020