Coordinated UAV and rocket attacks escalate security tensions in Iraq’s capital.
BAGHDAD, WEB DESK: The early morning calm of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone was shattered Friday as a series of coordinated drone and rocket attacks struck the United States Embassy and Union III, the headquarters of the NATO Mission Iraq (NMI).
According to AP reports, air defence sirens blared across the capital as UAVs buzzed overhead, followed by C-RAM systems intercepting incoming projectiles. While no major casualties were reported thanks to robust safety protocols, both facilities sustained structural damage.
Union III serves as NATO’s central hub for advisory and training missions in Iraq. The assault directly threatens European and North American personnel stationed there, highlighting a growing security crisis for international missions in the region. Analysts point to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq as the likely orchestrators, noting the group’s recent calls to remove “foreign occupiers” from Iraqi soil.
The Iraqi government faces mounting pressure to safeguard foreign missions while balancing its sovereignty amid escalating militia activity. International leaders swiftly condemned the attacks. A British Foreign Office spokesperson described the strike as “a reckless provocation” jeopardizing Middle East stability.
As smoke clears over the Tigris River, the latest wave of drone strikes underscores the evolving threats confronting diplomatic and military operations in Baghdad, leaving the future of international cooperation in Iraq uncertain.
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