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Explosion Hits Building of Iraq Parliament Speaker’s Party, 2 Wounded

Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
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Explosion Hits Building of Iraq Parliament Speaker’s Party, 2 Wounded

Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters

An explosion from a hand grenade hit the headquarters of Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed Halbousi's Taqaddum party in Baghdad early on Friday wounding two guards, police sources said.

The blast caused damage to the building's doors and windows, police said.

No group claimed responsibility and there was no comment from Halbousi or the Iraqi government immediately for the incident.

A similar incident hours later targeted the Baghdad headquarters of the Azm party of another Sunni politician, Khamis al-Khanjar, police said, but caused only light damage.

There was no claim of responsibility for the second incident.

Iraq's parliament, newly elected after an October 10 general election in which Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was the biggest winner, voted to reinstate Halbousi for his second term as speaker on Sunday.

Shiite parties aligned with Iran and which rival Sadr, opposed the selection of Halbousi.

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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
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France Declines to Comment on Algeria’s Anger over Recognition of Morocco’s Claim over Sahara

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)
French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. (AFP file)

Paris declined to comment on Algeria’s “strong condemnation” of the French government’s decision to recognize Morocco’s claim over the Sahara.

The office of the French Foreign Ministry refused to respond to an AFP request for a comment on the Algeria’s stance.

It did say that further comments could impact the trip Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to make to France in late September or early October.

The visit has been postponed on numerous occasions over disagreements between the two countries.

France had explicitly expressed its constant and clear support for the autonomy rule proposal over the Sahara during Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne’s visit to Morocco in February, reported AFP.

The position has helped improve ties between Rabat and Paris.

On Thursday, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed “great regret and strong denunciation" about the French government's decision to recognize an autonomy plan for the Western Sahara region "within Moroccan sovereignty”.

Algeria was informed of the decision by France in recent days, an Algerian foreign ministry statement added.

The ministry also said Algeria would draw all the consequences from the decision and hold the French government alone completely responsible.