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Iraqi Prime Minster Mohammed Shia Al Sudani has strongly condemned repeated drone and rocket attacks against the US Embassy in Baghdad, vowing to track down and punish perpetrators.
The US Embassy, a sprawling complex inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, has been one of the main targets for Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq since the US-Israeli war with Iran began.
Over the past two days, attacks on the embassy intensified in a new escalation after continuous US strikes against militias across the country. No casualties have been reported.
On Tuesday night, rockets were launched at the embassy in an attempt to engage air defences before a drone arrived, hitting the building and causing a fire, a security official said.
“Once again, outlaw groups have carried out a criminal act of aggression by targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad,” Mr Al Sudani’s military spokesman, Sabah Al Numan, said in a statement. “This criminal act is condemned and rejected, and constitutes a blatant terrorist assault on Iraq’s sovereignty.”
He warned that targeting diplomatic missions is an “irresponsible act and represents a serious violation” of international agreements and diplomatic relations, which may lead to “measures that threaten the interests of our nation and our people”.
Mr Sudani ordered security forces “not to show leniency” and to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice. He added that there will be “no hesitation or retreat” in confronting those who seek to undermine Iraq's security.
The tone of the statement suggests the government intends to reassure the international community and could be seen as an attempt to assert state authority.
The militias' other targets are Harir Air Base, which houses American troops and the US consulate in Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region; and a logistics hub at Baghdad International Airport that is used by US military personnel.
In response, the US has hit back with strikes on their headquarters in various parts of Iraq, killing and wounding fighters. Strikes against militias were reported across the country overnight, but no details on casualties. Foreign fighter jets flew low on Wednesday early morning over Baghdad in a show of force.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella for pro-Tehran armed groups, has also claimed responsibility for attacks against US troops in Jordan and Kuwait.
