Three out of five rockets fired on Sunday directly hit the US embassy in Iraq's capital, a security source has said - including one that slammed into a cafe at dinner time.
As massive student-led protests in Baghdad continued to keep Iraq's capital in an uproar, 5 rockets, presumably fired by Iran, hit the area on and around the US Embassy in the heavily-fortified Green Zone today. 3 of those rockets scored direct hits on the US Embassy building.
The United States and Iran famously stood down from
their tense standoff just a few weeks ago, but something tells me that it's about to be revisited.
Three rockets ‘score direct hits on the US embassy in Baghdad’ in latest round of missiles aimed at heavily fortified Green Zone
FROM DAILY MAIL UK: Sunday's attack took place earlier in the day than usual and it was the first time a direct hit was reported. Iraq's security forces had earlier reported no casualties. It comes as thousands of students flooded Iraqi streets Sunday to keep up their anti-government movement despite a crackdown. The diplomatic mission, which lies in Baghdad's high-security Green Zone, has been regularly hit by rockets in recent months.
Medical sources said one protester was killed by live fire in the capital Sunday, while another was killed in the southern hotspot of Nasiriyah, as demonstrators defied gunshots and tear gas fired by riot police seeking to shut protest camps.
Activists have worried in recent weeks that their months-long movement demanding a complete overhaul of Iraq's political establishment could be snuffed out.
Stoking those concerns, firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr dropped his support for the protest movement on Friday, after holding an anti-US rally attended by thousands in Baghdad. The defiant demonstrations on Sunday came despite Sadr's withdrawal of support for the movement. The notoriously fickle militia leader-turned-politician initially backed the protests and called for the government's resignation, even though he controls the largest bloc in parliament and top ministerial posts.
On Friday, thousands attended the rally he organised in Baghdad demanding US troops withdraw. After the mass gathering, Sadr said he no longer wanted to be involved in the protest movement. Analysts said Sadr was striving to both maintain his street credibility and win favour with Iraq's powerful neighbour Iran. Iran holds tremendous political and military sway in Iraq and will likely have a major say in who will replace Mahdi. The premier submitted his resignation in December, but has stayed on in a caretaker capacity.
Meanwhile anger at the United States has swelled since an American drone attack near Baghdad airport on January 3 killed top Iranian general Qaasem Soleimani and leading Iraqi military official Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
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