Iraqi PM escapes assassination attempt
1 min read
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi says he has survived an attack on his home in the capital, Baghdad.
Security officials say the prime minister’s residence in the Green Zone was attacked by a drone packed with explosives, in what is believed to be an assassination attempt.
Media reports had earlier said Mr al-Kadhimi had been taken to hospital.
In a message posted on his Twitter account, he called for “calm and restraint, in the interest of Iraq”.
Officials say six members of the prime minister’s bodyguards were injured in the attack.
The attack comes amid heightened political tensions in Iraq, sparked by the October 10 elections.
Preliminary results from the election show that the coalition of Fatah, the political wing of the Iranian-backed militant group al-Hashad al-Shabab, has lost many seats in parliament.
Hundreds of supporters of the group and police clashed on Saturday in the Greene Zone, angry over the election results.
Fatah won 15 of the 329 seats in parliament, far less than the 48 seats it previously held.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
