Iraq PM survives drone attack at residence

777

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has survived an assassination attempt after a drone struck his home last night.

“A drone was targeted at the prime minister’s residence, with no injuries,” a statement from his office said.

Some reports also say Mustafa suffered minor injuries.

Mustafa Al-Kadhimi later said he was in good health and called for “calm and self-control,” as the political situation in the country was tense.

“I am very good, Alhamdulillah, and I call for calm and restraint for the sake of Iraq,” Mustafa wrote on Twitter.

The prime minister’s home is in the Green Zone of Baghdad, also home to the U.S. embassy, ​​and has been the target of several rocket attacks.

More troops were deployed to the area after the attack, according to security sources.

The attack comes amid heightened political tensions in Iraq, sparked by the October 10 elections.

Preliminary results from the election show that the coalition of Fatah, the political wing of the Iranian-backed militant group al-Hashad al-Shabab, has lost many seats in parliament.

Fans of the club criticized the result and called it a “fraud.”

Hundreds of supporters of the group and police clashed on Saturday in the Greene Zone, angry over the election results.

Fatah won 15 of the 329 seats in parliament, far less than the 48 seats it previously held.

The biggest victory in the last election was the movement of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose group won 70 seats, after campaigning for patriotism and anti-Iranism.

The final result is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.