Katyusha rocket strikes Baghdad Green Zone: military

Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Katyusha rocket landed within the fortified walls of the Green Zone in central Baghdad on Sunday night, security forces confirmed. There are currently no reports of casualties. 

“A Katyusha rocket fell in the middle of the Green Zone without causing any losses, details to come later,” Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Security Media Cell, confirmed in a tweet.

“Our forces found the base of [the] rocket launcher on the Mohammed al-Qassim Highway opposite the Technological University. The incident did not cause any damage. The rocket landed in the area near the Monument of the Unknown Soldier,” Rasool added in a follow up tweet. 


The Green Zone contains the Iraqi parliament and the US embassy.

"A low-grade rocket did land within the International Zone near the U.S. Embassy," The Associated Press reported on Sunday, citing an anonymous State Department spokesman. 

He added "attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities will not be tolerated and will be responded to in a decisive manner" and added that the U.S. will hold "Iran responsible if any such attacks are conducted by its proxy militia forces or elements of such forces."

US Central Command spokesman Cpt. Bill Urban also acknowledged the explosion.

"We are aware of an explosion in the International Zone outside of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on May 19. There were no U.S. or coalition casualties, and Iraqi Security Forces are investigating the incident," he said in a statement, according to The Washington Times. 

The incident comes days after the US ordered the withdrawal of non-emergency personnel from Iraq and warned its nationals about the risk of violence or kidnapping because of an “imminent” threat that is directly tied to Iran and Iranian-backed groups. 


The State Department also increased its travel advisory to the most extreme level, telling people not to travel to Iraq because of the risk or “terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict,” on Wednesday. 

Hundreds of US citizens live in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region and some 5,000 American troops are stationed at Iraqi bases at the invitation of Baghdad. 

In a tweet on Sunday evening, US President Donald Trump appeared to threaten Iran with destruction if it continues to threaten the US.

 


Update: 8:05 a.m., May 21