A rocket aimed at Baghdad‘s Green Zone, home of the U.S. Embassy, struck a residential home and injured a child, according to reports.
The rocket launched late on Saturday from the Ali Al-Saleh area of Baghdad and landed near a home close to a local TV channel, a military statement said. A child suffered head injuries and the house was damaged.
The embassy has seen a recent increase in attacks as the U.S. and Iraq prepare for talks, which experts believe will focus on the presence of American forces in the country.
Military bases have also been targeted, with an attack in March on Camp Taji resulting in the deaths of two Americna soldiers and one British soldier. Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has pledged to protect American installations from attacks, U.S. officials said.
The U.S. has criticized Iraq’s federal government for not doing enough to reign in Iran-backed militia groups, which officials believe have orchestrated the attacks. Iraqi security forces responded with a raid on the headquarters of the Kataib Hezbollah, during which security forces detained over a dozen men suspected of being responsible for previous attacks against the Green Zone.
Thirteen of the detainees were released while one remains in custody.
The move drew praise from the U.S. but condemnation from Iran-backed factions within the country.
The installation of a new Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar system (C-RAM) has also created friction for the U.S. Embassy. The system, which may have been active on Saturday, drew condemnation from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hassan al-Kaabi.
Al-Kaabi called the system “illegal,” and he warned that it would “provoke the Iraqi people.”
