Iraqi PM survives assassination attempt, ramping up tensions

BAGHDAD — Troops deployed astir Baghdad connected Sunday pursuing the failed assassination effort with equipped drones that targeted the residence of Iraq’s premier minister. The onslaught importantly ramped up tensions sparked by the refusal of Iran-backed militias to judge past month’s parliamentary predetermination results.

Seven of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s information guards were wounded successful the onslaught by astatine slightest 2 equipped drones successful Baghdad’s heavy fortified Green Zone area, according to 2 Iraqi officials. They spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to springiness authoritative statements.

Al-Kadhimi was unharmed. He aboriginal appeared connected Iraqi television, seated down a table successful a achromatic shirt, looking calm and composed. His near manus appeared to beryllium wrapped successful a bandage. An adjutant confirmed a airy cut.

“Cowardly rocket and drone attacks don’t physique homelands and don’t physique a future,” helium said. Later connected Sunday, helium received Iraqi President Barham Salih and headed a authorities information meeting.

Residents of Baghdad heard the dependable of an detonation followed by dense gunfire from the absorption of the Green Zone, which houses overseas embassies and authorities offices. Handout photos showed the harm successful al-Kadhimi’s residence, including smashed windows and doors blown disconnected their hinges.

There was nary assertion for the attack, but suspicion instantly fell connected Iran-backed militias who had been publically attacking al-Kadhimi and issuing threats. It came amid a stand-off betwixt information forces and the pro-Iran Shiite militias whose supporters person been camped extracurricular the Green Zone for astir a period aft they rejected the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, successful which they mislaid astir two-thirds of their seats.

“The assassination effort is simply a melodramatic escalation, crossing a enactment successful unprecedented manner that whitethorn person convulsive reverberations,” wrote Ranj Alaaldin, a nonresident chap astatine the Brookings Institution, successful a station connected Twitter.

Protests turned deadly Friday erstwhile the demonstrators tried to participate the Green Zone. Security forces utilized teardrop state and unrecorded ammunition. There was an speech of occurrence successful which 1 protester affiliated with the militias was killed. Dozens of information forces were injured. Al-Khadimi ordered an probe to find what sparked the clashes and who violated orders not to unfastened fire.

Some of the leaders of the astir almighty militia factions loyal to Iran openly blamed al-Kadhimi for Friday’s clashes and the protester’s death.

“The humor of martyrs is to clasp you accountable,” said Qais al-Khazali, person of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, addressing al-Kadhimi astatine a ceremonial held for the protester Saturday. “The protesters lone had 1 request against fraud successful elections. Responding similar this (with unrecorded fire) means you are the archetypal liable for this fraud.”

The ceremonial was attended by leaders of the mostly Shiite Iran-backed factions who unneurotic are known arsenic the Popular Mobilization Forces, oregon Hashd al-Shaabi successful Arabic.

Al-Khazali, successful a connection Sunday, suggested the militias were being framed, calling for an probe and for the punishment of the perpetrators.

Other PMF leaders besides condemned the attack, blaming it connected “third parties” seeking to incite strife.

Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who won the largest fig of parliament seats successful the Oct. 10 elections, denounced the “terrorist attack” that seeks to instrumentality Iraq to the lawlessness and chaos of the past. While al-Sadr maintains bully relations with Iran, helium publically opposes outer interference successful Iraq’s affairs.

Al-Kadhimi, 54, was Iraq’s erstwhile quality main earlier becoming premier curate successful May past year. He is considered by the militias to beryllium adjacent to the U.S., and has tried to equilibrium betwixt Iraq’s alliances with some the U.S. and Iran. Prior to the elections, helium hosted respective rounds of talks betwixt determination foes Iran and Saudi Arabia successful Baghdad successful a bid to easiness determination tensions.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh successful a briefing Sunday condemned the assassination effort connected al-Khadimi and indirectly blamed the U.S. He said to beryllium alert of “the conspiracies that people the information and advancement of Iraq,” without elaborating.

Khatibzadeh said specified incidents “are successful the interests of those parties that person invaded the stability, security, independency and territorial integrity of Iraq implicit the past 18 years.”

The U.S. powerfully denounced the attack.

“This evident enactment of terrorism, which we powerfully condemn, was directed astatine the bosom of the Iraqi state,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi besides condemned the assassination attempt. Writing connected Facebook, helium called connected each sides successful Iraq to “calm down, renounce unit and articulation forces to sphere the country’s stability.”

Saudi Arabia issued a connection of enactment for stableness successful Iraq and said it powerfully condemned the “cowardly violent onslaught that targeted Iraq’s premier minister.”

The United States, the U.N. Security Council and others person praised the Oct. 10 election, which was mostly violence-free and without large method glitches.

But pursuing the vote, militia supporters pitched tents adjacent the Green Zone, rejecting the predetermination results and threatening unit unless their demands for a recount were met.

The unsubstantiated claims of elector fraud person formed a shadiness implicit the vote. The standoff with the militia supporters has besides accrued tensions among rival Shiite factions that could spill into unit and endanger Iraq’s newfound comparative stability.

The predetermination was held months up of docket successful effect to wide protests successful precocious 2019, which saw tens of thousands successful Baghdad and predominantly Shiite confederate provinces rally against endemic corruption, mediocre services and unemployment. They besides protested against the heavy-handed interference of neighboring Iran successful Iraq’s affairs done Iran-backed militias.

The militias mislaid immoderate popularity since the 2018 vote, erstwhile they made large predetermination gains. Many clasp them liable for suppressing the 2019 protests, and for challenging the state’s authority.

El-Sissi; French President Emmanuel Macron; Jordan’s King Abdullah and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati were among leaders who called al-Kadhimi connected Sunday.

Associated Press writers Zeina Karam successful Vienna, Sarah El Deeb successful Beirut, Jon Gambrell and Aya Batrawy successful Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Samy Magdy successful Cairo contributed.