American Embassy in Baghdad attacked by rockets

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was attacked by two hail rockets on Friday morning, which did not cause casualties, an embassy spokesman has announced.

The attack is believed to have been carried out by militants linked to Iran in Iraq, the spokesman has said. No group has immediately claimed responsibility, Reuters reports.

It was the first missile attack reported against the embassy since a network of militant Shiite Muslim groups linked to Iran launched attacks against American forces at military bases in Iraq and neighbouring Syria in mid-October.

Armed groups, which operate under the Iraqi Islamic Resistance flag, have linked more than 70 such attacks to Washington's support for Israel in its devastating Gaza war.

“We again call on the Iraqi government, as we have on several occasions, to do everything it can to protect the personnel and objects of diplomatic partners and coalition”, the embassy spokesman has said.

The blasts were heard near the embassy, in the centre of the Iraqi capital, about 4am Friday morning. Also activated were the sirens that called on people to take safe places, according to videos from the site published in social media.

In addition to the diplomatic staff in Iraq, the United States has about 2,500 troops in the country on a mission they say aims to advise and help local forces, which are trying to prevent a revival of the Islamic State group, which in 2014 took over large parts of Iraq and Syria before being defeated.

“We reiterate that we have the right to defend ourselves and protect our personnel anywhere in the world”, the spokesman has indicated.