Attack on the US Embassy in Iraq

The Dhaka Times Desk Angry people stormed the US embassy compound in Baghdad following the recent US airstrikes against Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.

According to a BBC Bengali news, during this attack they set fire to the guard post near the compound. US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for inciting the attack.

It should be noted that at least 25 fighters were killed in the US attack targeting the militias in the western part of Iraq last Sunday.

The US says it also responded to a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk that killed a US civilian contractor.

Yesterday (Tuesday) those who were killed in the US attack were being buried in Baghdad. From there, the attack on the US Embassy took place.

Several senior militia and paramilitary leaders, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, walked with thousands of mourners to Iraq's Green Zone. Most of Iraq's government offices and foreign embassies are located in the area.

Members of the Iraqi security forces also entered the zone, allowing them to gather in the streets outside the US embassy, according to reports.

Kataib Hezbollah and other militias carried flags from the rally and chanted anti-American slogans.

The protesters at one point pelted bricks at the main gate of the embassy and at one point broke security cameras.

At this time the guard post was set on fire and gunshots were also heard. At one point the walls of the compound were broken down. Even before the US troops fired tear gas, they entered the compound quite a bit.

Iraqi soldiers and riot police were later deployed to the scene. Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi also ordered the protesters to leave the embassy premises immediately.

However, the Al-Sumaira website said the Kataib Hezbollah group called for protests in front of the embassy until the US closes the embassy and expels the country's ambassador.

In this regard, Donald Trump wrote in his tweet that: “Iran killed American contractor. Many people have also been injured. We will respond strongly to it.

"Now again Iran has organized an attack on the embassy. They should be held accountable for that. At the same time, I hope Iraq will use its forces to protect the embassy."