Official Iraqi positions condemn targeting the Green Zone

Shafaq News / The Presidency and the Council of Ministers in Iraq condemned today Sunday the attacks in the Green Zone, in the Capital Baghdad.

The Presidency of Iraq stated, "These frequent acts represent a security threat facing the citizens and their property, as well as targeting the country's sovereignty and the state’ prestige,” Adding “it’s our duty to protect the diplomatic missions and to secure the safety of their facilities.”

"We insist the security forces to pursue criminals, and not allow anyone to take the law into their own, and to prevent a recurrence of these incidents."

For his part, the spokesman for the Prime Minister, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Major General Yahya Rasool described the party that targeted the Green Zone in central Baghdad as a "criminal gang."

"These acts seek to destabilize the situation in the country," Rasoul said in a statement.

He stressed, "Our security forces will pursue these outlaws and will not allow anyone to impose their rules at the expense of Iraq's sovereignty."

At least eight Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone in an attack targeting the U.S. Embassy, Iraqi security media cell said on Sunday.

The Iraqi cell said that an “outlaw group” fired rockets at Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Sunday.

The rockets launched from Al-Rashid camp and hit Al-Qadisiyah buildings in a residential complex inside the Green Zone, damaging the buildings and cars and wounded one Iraqi soldier, the statement said.

Sirens blared from the embassy compound inside the zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions.

An anti-rocket system (C-RAM) diverted two of the rockets, said a security official to Shafaq News Agency.

Earlier, Washington, which is slowly reducing its 5,000 troops in Iraq, threatened to shut its embassy unless the Iraqi government reins in Iran-aligned factions.