Iraqi prime minister survives assassination bid by three drones

IRAQ’S prime minister narrowly escaped an “assassination attempt” when three explosive-laden drones targeted his home in Baghdad, marking what experts called an “unprecedented” escalation in political violence.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attack bore all the hallmarks of others carried out by Iranlinked groups this year.

Gunfire rang out and smoke rose from the Green Zone after the drone strike, which the premier’s office labelled a “failed assassination attempt”. “Cowardly rocket and drone attacks don’t build homelands and don’t build a future,” Mustafa al-kadhimi said in a video a few hours after the attack. “Praise God, I am fine.”

Two bodyguards were reportedly wounded.

Barham Salih, Iraq’s president, called it an attempted “coup against the constitutional system” and said the country “must not be dragged into chaos”.

Troops were soon deployed across Baghdad.

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, telephoned Mr al-kadhimi to condemn the attack and offer his sympathies to those injured. He made clear he backs Mr al-kadhimi’s efforts to form a government, Downing Street said.

Two of the drones were intercepted and an investigation is under way. “There is no doubt in the government that this was either the work of Asaib Ahl al-haq or Kataeb Hezbollah,” a government source said, naming the two main Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The use of low-yield explosive-laden drones has been a hallmark of attacks from Iran-linked groups since February,

Patrick Osgood, an analyst at Control Risks, said.

However, targeting the prime minister was “unprecedented”, he added. “Iran-backed paramilitary groups are attempting – through escalating threats of force – to influence the government formation process and effectively nullify the results of the election,” he said.