Three rockets 'hit US embassy in Baghdad' in latest strike

Three rockets have slammed into the US embassy in Iraq's capital of Baghdad Monday morning, AEST, in the latest unclaimed attack on American bases in the country.

It is the first direct hit reported after months of close calls.

According to AFP, reporters heard loud thuds emanating from the western bank of the Tigris, where the US embassy and most other foreign diplomatic missions are located.

One security source said three Katyusha rockets hit near the high-security compound while another said as many as five struck the area.

A report by CNN cited a US official which told the publication that one rocket hit a dining facility. The official said there was minor damage.

Iraq's security forces said in a statement that five rockets hit the high-security Green Zone with no casualties. The statement, however, did not mention the US embassy.

The rocket fire comes days after thousands marched in Baghdad in response to a call by populist cleric Moqtada Sadr for a rally to demand the ousting of US troops from Iraq.

The attack marked a dangerous escalation in the spree of rocket attacks in recent months that have targeted the embassy or Iraqi military bases where American troops are deployed.

None of the attacks has been claimed but Washington has repeatedly blamed Iran-backed military factions in Iraq.

The latest attack took place earlier in the day than usual, with AFP reporters hearing the booms on the western bank of the river Tigris at precisely 7:30 pm, local time, or about 3:30am AEST.

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Halbusi both condemned the incident, saying it risked dragging their homeland into war.

America's military presence has been a hot-button issue in Iraq since a US strike killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and a top Iraqi commander outside Baghdad airport on January 3.

Around 5,200 US troops are in Iraq to lead a global coalition fighting the Islamic State group, but Iraq said the strike against Soleimani violated that mandate.

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This morning’s attack was the latest in a series of rocket fire this month targeting the Green Zone, where the Iraqi parliament is also located.

Parliament earlier this month urged the departure of US troops from Iraq, which has been gripped by anti-government protests since October.​

Vehemently anti-American cleric Moqtada Sadr organised a mass rally in Baghdad over the weekend, where thousands of his supporters called for American troops to leave.

-​ AFP

More to come.

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