Iraqi militia leader questions who benefits from Green Zone attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia group on Tuesday questioned who was benefiting from a rocket attack on Baghdad’s Green Zone the previous night.

“The continued targeting of the Green Zone despite the clear decision of the Coordinating Body for the Iraqi Resistance and in a way that every time rockets fall on residential areas without any real casualties or losses at the embassy puts many question marks on the side that benefits from them,” tweeted Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, on Tuesday.

The Green Zone and sites hosting foreign personnel across Iraq have often been targeted by rocket attacks, mostly attributed to Iran-backed militias.

Iraq’s Iran-backed militia groups agreed in October to suspend attacks on the condition that Washington withdraw its troops. However, Khazali announced in November that the ceasefire was over, due the US’ failure to comply with their demands. Another ceasefire has not publicly been announced.

Iraq’s security media cell reported on Monday that a total of three rockets were launched from al-Salam neighborhood, two landing in the Green Zone, and one in al-Harithiya neighborhood, damaging four civilian vehicles. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

In recent months, several seemingly newly established groups have claimed responsibility for rocket attacks on Western diplomatic and security installations.

Fourteen rockets were fired at the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil on February 15. One civilian contractor was killed in the attack, and another died of their wounds on Monday.

A comparatively unknown militant group by the name of Saraya Awlia al-Dam (Guardians of Blood Brigades) claimed responsibility for the Erbil attack.

US and Iraqi officials have told AFP they believe such factions to be “smokescreen” entities for more prominent pro-Iran groups including Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

“We have information that we will share at a suitable time,” Khazali added.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also criticized the attacks, claiming that they “weaken” the Iraqi resistance in the eyes of people.

“I see that the use of weapons, bombings, and targeting of diplomatic missions in Iraq is increasing, and therefore increases the danger to the lives of Iraqi civilians, and the state’s prestige also diminishes more and more,” Sadr tweeted on Monday. “It is a wonder if terrifying civilians and endangering their lives goes with the standards of the resistance, or only hurts its popularity in the heart of the nation.”

The US state department said shortly after the attack on Monday that it would “hold Iran responsible” for the attacks of its proxies in Iraq, without risking further destabilizing Iraq.

The Green Zone was last attacked in late December, when multiple rockets landed near the US embassy.

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