Iranian top security official Shamkhani condemns attack on Iraqi PM
Iran’s top security official, Ali Shamkhani, condemned on Sunday an attack on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad, calling it “a new sedition.”
“The attempt ... is a new sedition that must be traced back to foreign think-tanks,” he said on Twitter, without giving further details.
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A drone laden with explosives targeted the residence of the Iraqi official 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 US 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 on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to comment on security details. “We’re checking our intelligence reports and waiting for initial investigation results to point the finger at perpetrators.”
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Iranian top security official Shamkhani condemns attack on Iraqi PM
