(Baghdad) A rocket hit the night of Monday to Tuesday near Baghdad airport, where American soldiers are stationed, the second such attack in 24 hours against American interests, an official of the Iraqi security services told AFP.
Posted on July 5 2020 at 18 h 13
France Media Agency
These shots are usually attributed to pro-Iranians but have never been claimed by known factions. They resume while on Sunday many times Baghdad was rocked by heavy explosions.
These were tests of C-RAM, a device designed to intercept rockets, now installed near the American embassy in Baghdad, targeted last night by a rocket, according to a senior Iraqi officer.
Launch pads and rockets aimed at a base housing American soldiers north of Baghdad were also seized during the attack on the embassy.
These new attacks are seen as a challenge to the government of Moustafa al-Kazimi, who passes for close to Washington, great enemy of Tehran, and seems to want to give pawns to the United States in the approach of a trip across the Atlantic from M. Kazimi.
On the night of 25 to 26 June, the authorities had nevertheless won a round: Elite counterterrorism units then arrested 14 men, members of Hezbollah's brigades, the most radical pro-Iran faction in the country, in possession of several rocket launching ramps.
But four days later, they were all released by a judge who considered “lacking in evidence”, with the exception of one, “directly accused” according to a government official.
On the authorities' side, the officials assure, unanimously, that carrying out such a raid is already in itself a success, whereas 35 rocket attacks against diplomats or American soldiers – some of them deadly – have already taken place and have never led to arrests or even searches under the previous government, of Adel Abdel Mahdi.
Immediately, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, welcomed “a step in the right direction” that he said “applaud”.
But opposite, pro-Iran, Hezbollah brigades at the head, maintain their anti-American position, considered by these factions as “occupiers” in Iraq.
During their four days of detention of their men, the Hezbollah brigades have multiplied the threats, targeting in particular Mr. Kazimi whom they have already accused for months of being “accomplice” of the Washington assassination in January of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and his Iraqi lieutenant at Baghdad airport.
They say today that they are going to prosecute him for “kidnapping” of their men and, in a show of force that went around social networks, members of this faction trampled on photos of Mr. Kazimi burning American flags.