US Embassy in Baghdad targeted in rocket attack

A rocket attack caused minor damage to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, officials said Friday.

A U.S. military official told The Hill a “multi-mortar attack” hit the embassy on Thursday night local time, but there were no casualties and no damage to infrastructure.

A U.S. military official told The Associated Press the attack was launched at American forces and allies in the vicinity.

No group claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, but early indications point to Iran-aligned militias, the official added.

“We again call on the government of Iraq, as we have done on many occasions, to do all in its power to protect diplomatic and Coalition partner personnel and facilities,” the official told the AP. “We reiterate that we reserve the right to self-defense and to protect our personnel anywhere in the world.”

Although no group has taken responsibility for the embassy attack, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued statements claiming responsibility for separate attacks in Iraq on U.S. forces Friday.

An Iraqi security official said 14 rockets were fired at the embassy, with some hitting the compound. The official reported material damage but no casualties.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement that “targeting diplomatic missions” like the U.S. embassy “cannot be justified.” He said the attack was an insult to Iraq’s stability and security and promised to “pursue the perpetrators.”

The attack is the first confirmed strike on the facility since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, Iran-backed militias have claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks aimed at U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. In the past few weeks, 78 attacks — 37 in Iraq and 41 in Syria — have been reported against U.S. facilities.

The American military has launched retaliatory strikes in response to the attacks.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, which is located in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Iraq’s capital that houses government buildings and embassies, has yet to release a statement about the attack.

This story was updated at 11:54 a.m.