Iraq Military: Rocket Hit Baghdad Green Zone, Minor Damages

Iraqi security forces stand guard near the gates of the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, March 31, 2016. (Reuters)
Iraqi security forces stand guard near the gates of the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, March 31, 2016. (Reuters)
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Iraq Military: Rocket Hit Baghdad Green Zone, Minor Damages

Iraqi security forces stand guard near the gates of the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, March 31, 2016. (Reuters)
Iraqi security forces stand guard near the gates of the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, March 31, 2016. (Reuters)

A rocket struck Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq's government, early on Tuesday morning, according to an Iraqi military statement, the first attack on the area since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was sworn in earlier this month.

The Katyusha rocket hit an empty house, causing minor damages, reported The Associated Press.

The Green Zone is where government buildings and foreign embassies are located. A preliminary investigation indicated the rocket was launched from the nearby Al-Idrisi neighborhood on Palestine Street, the statement said.

An Iraqi official said the rocket had struck near the US Embassy, without elaborating. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Previous attacks have frequently targeted the US presence in Iraq, including the embassy and Iraqi bases hosting American troops. The US has blamed Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia group backed by Iran, of perpetrating the attacks.

Kadhimi’s government, which was approved just weeks ago, is preparing for a strategic dialogue with Washington, expected to take place next month. The talks will touch on security and economic cooperation between both countries.

The issue of militias acting outside of state control is also expected to be on the agenda.

Kadhimi's government, meanwhile, is scrambling to address a severe financial crisis brought on by falling oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.



Netanyahu Says Israel Will Continue to Act Against the Houthis

FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
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Netanyahu Says Israel Will Continue to Act Against the Houthis

FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel would continue acting against the Houthi militias in Yemen, whom he accused of threatening world shipping and the international order, and called on Israelis to be steadfast.
"Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran's axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis," he said in a video statement a day after a missile fired from Yemen fell in the Tel Aviv area, causing a number of mild injuries.

The US military said it conducted precision airstrikes on Saturday against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

In a statement, the US military's Central Command said the strikes aimed to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.”

The US military also said it struck multiple Houthi one-way drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

Saturday's strike followed a similar attack last week by US aircraft against a command and control facility operated by the Houthis.

On Thursday, Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.