Rockets fired at US embassy in Baghdad (Lead)
Baghdad, Dec 8 (IANS) Rockets were fired at the US Embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad on Friday, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source said.
The attack took place before dawn when the rockets landed in the vicinity of the embassy in the Green Zone, which also houses some of the main Iraqi government offices, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
The source said that alarm sirens were heard inside the embassy area, adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
Military bases housing US forces in Iraq and US bases in Syria have been attacked by armed Shiite militias, as part of retaliatory measures amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Green Zone has been frequently targeted by insurgents’ mortar and rocket attacks. The roughly 10 square km zone is located on the west bank of the Tigris River, which bisects the Iraqi capital.
–IANS
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