Twin rockets hit Iraq’s Green Zone; no damage reported: official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone came under attack early Thursday from two rockets, the Iraqi military said.

The area, also known as the international zone, houses Iraq’s elite institutions and international and diplomatic missions, including the U.S. Embassy.

The rockets, fired around dawn, did not result in any casualties or damage, AFP reported earlier in the day.

Security forces have launched an investigation. Iraq’s Security Media Cell said the rocket landed in the Mansour neighborhood in the west of Baghdad.

No group has claimed responsibility but previous attacks in the area have been blamed and claimed by militia groups under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces. 

Thursday's attack comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Khadimi was set to return from a visit to the United States, where he met with President Joe Biden to discuss the future of Iraqi-US relations, particularly in the security field.

Regular rocket and drone attacks on the military and foreign diplomatic installations in Iraq tend to increase when the US-Iran relations are tense. The militias regularly demand the removal of US and other foreign forces from Iraqi soil.