The government said in a statement that explosives-laden drones tried to strike Mr al-Kadhimi’s home.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with an armed drone that targeted his residence early on 7 November and officials said he was not harmed. The attack was a major escalation last month amid tensions that Iran-backed militias refused to accept. parliamentary elections Result.
Two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press Prime Minister al-Kadhimi’s seven security guards were injured in an attack by two armed drones in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone area. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make an official statement.
Soon after the attack, the prime minister tweeted: “I am fine and among my people. Thank God.” He called for calm and restraint “for Iraq’s sake”.
He later appeared on Iraqi television, sitting behind a desk in a white shirt, looking calm and calm. “Cowardly rocket and drone strikes neither build a home nor a future,” he said.
The government said in a statement that explosives-laden drones tried to strike Mr al-Kadhimi’s home. Residents of Baghdad heard an explosion from the direction of the Green Zone, followed by heavy shelling, which houses foreign embassies and government offices.
The statement released by state-run media said security forces were “taking necessary measures in connection with this failed attempt.”
There was no immediate claim for the attack. It comes amid a standoff between security forces and pro-Iranian Shiite militias, whose supporters have been camping outside the green zone for nearly a month after rejecting the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, in which they lost nearly two-thirds. Were. seats.
“The attempted murder is a dramatic escalation, crossing a line in unprecedented fashion, which can have violent resonance,” Ranj Aladdin, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote in a post on Twitter.
The protests turned deadly on 5 November when protesters tried to enter the Green Zone. Security forces fired tear gas shells and used ammunition. There was an exchange of fire in which a protester belonging to the militia was killed. Dozens of security forces were injured. Al-Khadimi ordered an investigation to determine who instigated the clashes and who violated orders not to open fire.
Leaders of some of the most powerful militia factions loyal to Iran have openly blamed Prime Minister al-Kadhimi for the November 5 clashes and the death of the demonstrator.
“The blood of the martyrs is there to hold you accountable,” said Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, addressing Mr al-Kadhimi at a funeral held for the protestor on 6 November. A demand against election fraud reacts like this [with live fire] This means that you are the first person responsible for this fraud.”
The funeral was attended by leaders of mostly Shia Iran-backed factions, known together as the Popular Mobilization Force, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic.
Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada’s commander, Abu Ala al-Wale, apparently in a tweet addressed to Prime Minister al-Kadhimi, which did not name him, asked him to forget about another term.
Mustafa al-Kadhimi (54) was Iraq’s former intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in May last year. He is considered close to the US by militias, and has tried to strike a balance between Iraq’s alliances with both the US and Iran. Ahead of the elections, he has hosted several rounds of talks between regional foes Iran and Saudi Arabia in Baghdad to defuse regional tensions.
The United States, the United Nations Security Council and others have praised the October 10 election, which was mostly violence-free and without major technical glitches.
But after the vote, militia supporters pitched tents near the Green Zone, scuttling election results and threatening violence unless their demands for recounting were met.
Baseless claims of voter fraud have cast a shadow over the vote. The standoff with militia supporters has also heightened tensions between rival Shiite factions that could reflect on the road and threaten Iraq’s new relative stability.
The election was held ahead of schedule in response to mass protests in late 2019 that saw thousands in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite southern provinces rally against endemic corruption, poor services and unemployment. He also opposed the heavy interference of neighboring Iran in Iraq’s affairs through Iran-backed militias.
The militias have lost some popularity since the 2018 vote, when they made huge electoral gains. Many hold him responsible for suppressing the 2019 protests and challenging the authority of the state.
The biggest gains were made by the influential Shia cleric Muktada al-Sadr, who won the most parliament seats at 73 out of 329. While al-Sadr maintains good relations with Iran, al-Sadr publicly opposes outside interference in Iraq’s affairs.
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