Two rockets landed inside the Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone

Two rockets landed inside the Iraqi capital’s heavily fortified Green Zone, the seat of Iraq’s government and home to the US embassy, the Iraqi army said in a statement.

The two projectiles struck on Thursday near the Baghdad Operations Command, which coordinates Iraq’s police and military forces, the statement said.

The command centre is a few hundred meters away from the US Embassy, which is a regular target of rocket attacks.

It was not immediately known if there were any casualties.

The statement said the rockets were launched from the al-Nahda area of Baghdad. It was the latest rocket attack to target the Green Zone since three rockets hit an area near the embassy last Tuesday.

An Iraqi security source told AFP news agency the intended target appeared to be the US embassy.

The latest attack is the 26th since late October targeting installations where foreign troops or diplomats are based across Iraq.

The attacks come as the US-led coalition announced plans to draw down its presence from bases across Iraq and consolidate in Baghdad and Ain al-Asad in western Iraq. The plan was in the works since late last year, a senior coalition military official said last week, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Troops have already pulled out from al-Qaim, on the border with Syria.

France said on Wednesday that it will pull out its military forces from Iraq, citing the need for French forces to help fight the coronavirus pandemic at home.

Source: Al Jazeera