Suspicious Assassination Attempt Targeted Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (Video, Photos)

Illustrative Image

On the night of November 7th, an unidentified drone struck the residence of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi located in the International Zone of Baghdad, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies. Iraqi military claimed that the Prime Minister was not injured as a result of an “unsuccessful assassination attempt.”

Two government officials said Kadhimi’s residence had been hit by at least one explosion. Some sources claimed, two explosions were heard in the Green Zone. According to security sources, six members of Kadhimi’s personal protection force, who were stationed outside his residence, had been injured.

The minor damage was reported. Several windows and doors were knocked out and the shrapnel hit nearby vehicles.

Following the attack, Mustafa al-Kadhimi assured that he was not injured and called for calm and restraint on his Twitter account:

“The rockets of treachery will not discourage the believers… The steadfastness and insistence of our heroic security forces will not falter as they work to preserve the security of the people, achieve justice and enforce the law. I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint” the publication reads.

Click to see full-size image

Click to see full-size image

Click to see full-size image 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on Kadhimi’s residence so far.

Some reports blame Iranian-backed militants for carrying out the attack, as it came amid protests in the Iraqi capital over the result of a general election.

The day before, not without provocations from pro-Iranian groups, clashes with the police took place in the International Zone, during which 3 people were killed. In turn, the aggravation occurred precisely when the officials met to agree on the creation of a government without the participation of pro-Iranian forces.

The strike was not likely aimed to kill or injure the Prime Minister but was a message to him.

At the same time, the question rises why the drone was not intercepted over the Green Zone.

Last year, the increased attacks against U.S. and coalition forces prompted the U.S. military to deploy C-RAM [“Counter-rocket, artillery and mortar”] — which could fire 3,000 rounds of 20-mm high-explosive tracer rounds per minute to protect Baghdad’s Green Zone, which houses the US Embassy as well.

The C-RAM was not activated the last night. 

General Tahsin al-Khafaji, the spokesman for the Joint Iraqi Army Command, has already claimed that an investigation was launched on to determine why the C-RAM system did not work during the attack targeting the Kazemi House.

In its turn, the US State Department has already issued a statement, calling the attack on the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister an “obvious terrorist act” and offered assistance in investigating the attack.

Weird circumstances of the attack arouse suspicion that the drone strike could be a provocation aimed to discredit the Iranian-backed militants in Iraq.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

• Unobtrusive Letters By Rockets As Means Of Political Communication In Iraq
• Three Rockets Landed Near US Embassy In Iraq’s Baghdad (PHOTOS)