Two rockets fired near US embassy in Baghdad

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  • Attack came on a day PM Mustafa Al-Kadhemi was flying home from Washington after talks with Joe Biden.

  • On Jul 8, rocket and drone attacks targeted American diplomats and troops in Iraq and Syria.

BAGHDAD: Two rockets were fired early Thursday against Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone which houses the US embassy, without causing any casualties or damage, an Iraqi security source told AFP.

The dawn attack came as Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhemi was flying home from Washington after White House talks in which President Joe Biden announced an end to US combat operations in Iraq.

On July 8, American diplomats and troops in Iraq and Syria were targeted in three rocket and drone attacks in 24 hours, including at least 14 rockets hitting an Iraqi airbase hosting US forces, wounding two American service members.

While there were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks – part of a wave targeting US troops or areas where they are based in Iraq and Syria – analysts believed they were part of a campaign by Iranian-backed armed groups.

Also, on July 6, US forces shot down an armed drone above their embassy in Baghdad, hours after a rocket attack on a base housing US soldiers in the west of the country.

American defence systems fired rockets into the air in Baghdad, according to AFP reporters, with Iraqi security sources saying the salvos took out a drone that was laden with explosives.

Since the start of the year, 47 attacks have targeted US interests in the country, where 2,500 American troops are deployed as part of an international coalition to fight the jihadist Islamic State group.

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