A drone laden with explosives targeted the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad early on Sunday in what the Iraqi military called an attempted assassination, but said Kadhimi escaped unhurt.
The attack, which security sources said injured several members of Kadhimi’s personal protection detail, came after protests in the Iraqi capital over the result of a general election last month turned violent.
“This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state,” spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “We are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq’s sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate this attack.”
A spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces said the security situation was stable inside Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies, after the drone attack.
Images published by the state news agency INA showed damage to some parts of the prime minister’s residence and a damaged SUV vehicle parked in the garage.
A large number of security forces were deployed in and around the heavily guarded Green Zone, which also hosts the US embassy and is frequently targeted by rocket attacks.
Iraqi President Barham Salih called the attack a “terrorist aggression” and a “heinous crime” against Iraq. “This requires unity against the evildoers targeting the security of this country and its people’s safety,” Salih said on Twitter.
