Pakistan strongly condemns strike
Baghdad
A drone laden with explosives targeted the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad early on Sunday in what the Iraqi military called an attempted assassination, but said Kadhimi escaped unhurt.
The attack, which security sources said injured several members of Kadhimi’s personal protection detail, came after protests in the Iraqi capital over the result of a general election last month turned violent.
The U.S. State Department condemned the attack and offered assistance with the investigation.
“This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state,” spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
“We are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq’s sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate this attack.”
A spokesman for the commander in chief of the Iraqi armed forces said the security situation was stable inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies, after the drone attack.
Images published by the state news agency INA showed damage to some parts of the prime minister’s residence and a damaged SUV vehicle parked in the garage.
Remains of a small explosive-laden drone used in the attack were retrieved by security forces to be investigated, a security official with knowledge of the attack told Reuters.
“It’s premature now to say who carried out the attack,” the security official said.
“We’re checking our intelligence reports and waiting for initial investigation results to point the finger at perpetrators.”
The groups leading protests and complaints about the result of the Oct. 10 vote are heavily armed Iran-backed militias which lost much of their parliamentary power in the election.
They have alleged voting and vote-counting irregularities. The Iraqi military said in a statement that the attack targeted Kadhimi’s residence and that he was in “good health”.
It provided no further detail. Kadhimi’s official Twitter account said the prime minister was safe and called for calm.
Two government officials said Kadhimi’s resi-dence had been hit by at least one explosion and confirmed to Reuters that the prime minister was safe.
Six members of Kadhimi’s personal protection force stationed outside his residence had been injured, security sources told Reuters.
Pakistan has strongly con-demned the cowardly attack on the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister in Baghdad on Sunday.
Foreign Office, in a statement, said it is a mat-ter of relief that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is safe.
It said Pakistan stands in solidarity with the brotherly government and people of Iraq.
The Foreign Office said we extend our heart-felt sympathies to the injured and pray for their early recovery.
It reiterated Pakistan s strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifesta-tions.—Reuters
