IraqEarlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt by an armed drone attacking his residence. Officials said he was not harmed. The attack was a major escalation as the Iran-backed militia refused to accept the results of last month’s parliamentary elections, causing tensions.
Two Iraqi officials told the Associated Press that seven security guards in Kadimi were injured in an attack by two armed drones in the heavily guarded Green Zone of Baghdad. They declined to be named because they have no right to make an official statement.
“The treasonous rocket will not shake the firmness and determination of the brave security forces,” the prime minister tweeted shortly after the attack. “I’m fine, among my people. Thank God.”
The government said in a statement that the drone attempted to attack Kadimi’s home. Residents in Baghdad heard the explosion, followed by gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone, where foreign embassies and government offices are located.
A statement issued by the state media stated that the attempted assassination attempt was “a drone loaded with explosives trying to target his residence in the Green Zone”.
“The security forces are taking necessary measures against this failed attempt,” it said.
It is unclear who was behind the attack, and no one immediately claimed responsibility. The confrontation between the security forces and the pro-Iranian Shia militia took place when their supporters had camped outside the green zone for nearly a month after rejecting the results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections. They were the biggest losers.
“The assassination attempt is a dramatic escalation that crosses the line in an unprecedented way and may have a strong response,” Ranj Alaaldin, a non-resident researcher at the Brookings Institution, wrote on Twitter.
On Friday, when demonstrators marched towards the Green Zone, the protest became deadly. In the exchange of fire, a protester belonging to the militia was killed. Dozens of security forces were injured. Al-Khadimi ordered an investigation to determine what caused the conflict and who violated the order not to fire.
Some leaders of Iran’s strongest militia faction publicly blamed Kadimi for Friday’s clashes and the deaths of protesters.
Speaking to al-Kadhimi at the funeral for the protesters, Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia leader Qais al-Khazali said: “The blood of the martyrs is to hold you accountable.” “The protesters have only one request against election fraud. Responding like this (with live ammunition) means that you are the first person responsible for this fraud.”
Participants at the funeral were mainly leaders of Iran’s Shia-supporting factions. These factions are called “People’s Mobilization Force”, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic.
The commander of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Abu Alaa al-Walae, apparently wrote to al-Kadhimi in a tweet, but did not say his name. He told him to forget another term.
The United States, the United Nations Security Council and other agencies all expressed appreciation for the October 10 elections, which were basically free of violence and no major technical failures.
But after the voting ended, militia supporters set up tents near the green zone, rejected the election results, and threatened to use violence unless their request for recounting was met.
Unconfirmed allegations of voter fraud cast a shadow over the vote. The confrontation with supporters of the militia has also exacerbated tensions between rival Shia factions, which may reflect on the streets and threaten Iraq’s newly established relative stability.
The election was held several months in advance in response to large-scale protests at the end of 2019. Tens of thousands of people held rallies in Baghdad and the southern Shiite-majority provinces to oppose local corruption, poor service quality and unemployment. They also protested against neighbouring Iran’s gross interference in Iraqi affairs through Iran-backed militias.
The militias have lost some popularity since voting in 2018, when they made tremendous progress in the elections. Many people believe that they are responsible for suppressing the protests in 2019 and challenging national authority.
The biggest gain is the influential Shia clergyman Muqtada Sadr, who won the most parliamentary seats, accounting for 73 of the 329 seats. While maintaining good relations with Iran, Sadr openly opposed external interference in Iraqi affairs.
The protest seems to be aimed at putting pressure on Sadr to ensure that the factions allied with Iran become part of the next cabinet. As a winner, Sadr’s group will seek alliance partners and appoint a prime minister.
© 2021 Canadian Press
