Iraqi Military: 5 Dead, 2 Wounded in Baghdad Rocket Attack

Five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport. (AFP)
Five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport. (AFP)
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Iraqi Military: 5 Dead, 2 Wounded in Baghdad Rocket Attack

Five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport. (AFP)
Five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport. (AFP)

Five Iraqi civilians were killed and two severely wounded Monday after a Katyusha rocket hit near Baghdad airport, Iraq's military said. It was the first time in months an attack caused civilian casualties.

The rocket targeted the international airport but struck a residential home close by instead. Among the dead were three children and two women. Two children were also severely wounded. The home was completely destroyed.

The rocket was launched from the al-Jihad neighborhood of Baghdad.

A statement from the military described the attack as a “cowardly crime" perpetrated by “criminal gangs” with the aim of creating chaos and terrorizing people.

It said Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi had ordered the arrest of the perpetrators and said “these gangs will not be allowed to go around and tamper with security” with impunity.

The attacks have become a frequent occurrence, often targeting the US Embassy in Baghdad, within the heavily fortified Green Zone, and US troops present in Iraqi bases as well as the Baghdad airport. Roadside bombs have also frequently targeted convoys carrying equipment destined for US-led coalition forces.

Previous attacks have caused minor damage but rarely deaths or injuries.

The frequency of the rockets has strained Iraq-US relations, prompting the Trump administration last week to threaten to close its diplomatic mission in Baghdad if pro-Iran militias believed to be orchestrating them are not reigned in.

The disparate nature of militias following the US killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis has complicated Iraqi efforts to clamp down on rogue armed elements.

A government raid on the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah, suspected of launching rocket attacks, backfired when those detained were released for want of evidence.



Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: US Pressing Hard to Secure Gaza Truce Deal

A Palestinian boy searches through garbage in Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza on Monday (AFP)
A Palestinian boy searches through garbage in Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza on Monday (AFP)
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Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: US Pressing Hard to Secure Gaza Truce Deal

A Palestinian boy searches through garbage in Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza on Monday (AFP)
A Palestinian boy searches through garbage in Al-Bureij camp in central Gaza on Monday (AFP)

Hamas sources have described the ongoing indirect negotiations with Israel in Doha as “more serious” than previous rounds, when they said both Israel and the United States lacked genuine commitment.

One Hamas figure told Asharq Al-Awsat that while it remains difficult to predict the outcome, “there is cautious optimism about a possible breakthrough, especially given the clear American pressure aimed at reaching an agreement soon.”

The talks, which began Sunday evening in the Qatari capital, focus on a potential two-month ceasefire that would halt military operations and secure the release of hostages from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has traveled to Washington for meetings with US President Donald Trump.

According to the sources, negotiations have not stalled and are expected to continue for several days. “At least for now, they cannot be described as negative,” one official said. “Mediators are making serious efforts to achieve progress and conclude a deal as quickly as possible.”

If talks continue positively, the sources said an announcement could come as early as Thursday. But they stressed that any breakthrough depends primarily on Israel’s willingness to accept key Palestinian demands, particularly the unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid, a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and guarantees that the war will end definitively.

The sources declined to specify any obstacles currently impeding talks, preferring to “wait for the outcome in the coming hours or days.”

Hamas negotiators, they said, remain committed to “securing the Palestinian demands submitted as amendments to the latest US proposal drafted by envoy Steve Witkoff.”

“These conditions are essential for a fair ceasefire that gives the people of Gaza hope the war will truly end,” the official added, “and prevents Israel from resuming attacks under any pretext as long as negotiations continue.”

The diplomatic efforts coincide with continued Israeli military escalation in Gaza, where intensive airstrikes have struck apartment blocks, shelters, and aid distribution points. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Palestinian death toll has risen to 57,523 since the war began on October 7, 2023.

Israeli ground forces have expanded operations in northern, southern, and western Khan Yunis, advancing further into Gaza City’s Shuja’iyya and Tuffah neighborhoods. In the south, the military is pushing into the Zeitoun district, edging closer to Gaza’s Old City and the Latin Convent, which houses thousands of displaced civilians.

Israel reportedly aims to widen a buffer zone inside Gaza by over a kilometer - an issue it also tried to cement in January’s ceasefire agreement. Hamas is insisting this time on a clear, staged Israeli withdrawal, with agreed timelines and maps, while Israel appears determined to retain positions near the border fence and along the Philadelphi Corridor with Egypt.

Trump said Sunday there was “a good chance” for a Gaza ceasefire agreement “this week” before meeting Netanyahu in Washington. He added the US is also working with Israel on several issues, perhaps including a permanent deal with Iran.

Netanyahu arrived in the US on Monday for talks with Trump, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.