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world news Dialuna 14 Maart 2022

Iran claims missile barrage near US consulate in Iraq

(AP) — Iran claimed re- missile barrage.
sponsibility Sunday for
a missile barrage that An Iraqi official in Baghdad
struck near a sprawling initially said several missiles
U.S. consulate complex had hit the U.S. consulate
in northern Iraq, saying in Irbil, which is new and
it was retaliation for an unoccupied, adding that it
Israeli strike in Syria that had been the intended tar-
killed two members of its get of the attack. Later, Lawk
Revolutionary Guard ear- Ghafari, the head of Kurd-
lier this week. istan’s foreign media office,
said none of the missiles had
No injuries were reported in struck the U.S. facility but
Sunday’s attack on the city that residential areas around
of Irbil, which marked a sig- the compound had been hit.
nificant escalation between
the U.S. and Iran. Hostility Following a Cabinet meet-
between the longtime foes ing, the Iraqi government in
has often played out in Iraq, Baghdad reiterated its refusal
whose government is allied to allow Iraq to be used to
with both countries. settle scores between other
countries and said it has re-
The attack drew harsh con- quested an explanation from
demnation from the Iraqi the Iranian leadership.
government, which called it
a “violation of international Satellite broadcast channel
law and norms” and de- Kurdistan24, which is locat- out its largest known mass ly warned about the increas- drone strike near the Bagh-
manded an explanation from ed near the U.S. consulate, execution in its modern his- ing threats of attacks from dad airport killed a top Irani-
the Iranian leadership. went on air from their studio tory with over three dozens Iran and Iranian-backed mi- an general. In retaliation, Iran
shortly after the attack, show- Shiites killed. litias on troops and allies in launched a barrage of mis-
The United States said the ing shattered glass and debris Iraq and Syria. siles at al-Asad airbase, where
missile strike emanated from on their studio floor. Iraqi security officials said U.S. troops were stationed.
Iran and strongly condemned there were no casualties from In an interview with The As- More than 100 service mem-
it. The attack came several days the Irbil attack, which they sociated Press in December, bers suffered traumatic brain
after Iran said it would retali- said occurred after midnight Marine Gen. Frank McKen- injuries in the blasts.
Iran’s powerful Revolution- ate for an Israeli strike near and caused material damage zie said that while U.S. forc-
ary Guard said on its website Damascus, Syria, that killed in the area. They spoke on es in Iraq have shifted to a More recently, Iranian prox-
that it attacked what it de- two members of its Revolu- condition of anonymity in non-combat role, Iran and its ies are believed responsible
scribed as an Israeli spy center tionary Guard. On Sunday, line with regulations. proxies still want all Ameri- for an assassination attempt
in Irbil. It did not elaborate, Iran’s state-run IRNA news can troops to leave the coun- late last year on Iraq’s Prime
but in a statement said Israel agency quoted Iraqi media One of the Iraqi officials said try. As a result, he said, that Minister Mustafa al-Kadhi-
had been on the offensive, acknowledging the attacks in the ballistic missiles were may trigger more attacks.’ mi.
citing the recent strike that Irbil, without saying where fired from Iran, without elab-
killed two members of the they originated. orating. He said the Iranian- The Biden administration And officials have said they
Revolutionary Guard. The made Fateh-110 missiles decided last July to end the believe Iran was behind the
semi-official Tasnim news The missile barrage coin- likely were fired in retaliation U.S. combat mission in Iraq October drone attack at the
agency quoted an unnamed cided with regional tensions. for the two Revolutionary by Dec. 31, and U.S. forces military outpost in southern
source as saying Iran fired Negotiations in Vienna over Guards killed in Syria. gradually moved to an advi- Syria where American troops
10 Fateh missiles, including Tehran’s tattered nuclear sory role last year. The troops are based. No U.S. personnel
several Fateh-110 missiles, deal hit a “pause” over Rus- U.S. forces stationed at Ir- will still provide air support were killed or injured in the
which have a range of about sian demands about sanctions bil’s airport compound have and other military aid for attack.
300 kilometers (186 miles). targeting Moscow for its war come under fire from rocket Iraq’s fight against the Islam-
on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Iran and drone attacks in the past, ic State. Al-Kadhimi tweeted: “The
The source claimed the attack suspended its secret Bagh- with U.S. officials blaming aggression which targeted the
resulted in multiple casual- dad-brokered talks aimed at Iran-backed groups. The U.S. presence in Iraq has dear city of Irbil and spread
ties. There was no immedi- defusing yearslong tensions long been a flash point for fear amongst its inhabitants
ate comment from Israel on with regional rival Saudi Ara- The top U.S. commander for Tehran, but tensions spiked is an attack on the security of
the allegations or the Iranian bia, after Saudi Arabia carried the Middle East has repeated- after a January 2020 U.S. our people.”

Official: Drone that crashed in Croatia carried a bomb

(AP) — A military drone Thursday. About 40 parked
that apparently flew all cars were damaged in the Air crash investigators have
the way from the Ukrai- large explosion, but no one pulled most of the drone’s
nian war zone over three was injured. remaining parts from a large
European NATO-mem- crater it created on impact,
ber states before crash- “Traces of explosives and including a partly damaged
ing in an urban zone of clues suggesting that this black box that should reveal
the Croatian capital was was not a reconnaissance air- the drone’s flight path. Croa-
armed with an explosive craft were found. We found tian officials have criticized
device, Croatia’s defense parts of an air bomb,” Croa- NATO for what they called
minister said Sunday. tian Defense Minister Mario a slow reaction to a very se-
Banozic said at the crash site. rious incident and called into
The Soviet-made aircraft question the readiness of the
crossed Romania and Hun- He said that this further rais- military alliance’s member
gary before entering Croa- es a question about whether states to respond to a possible
tia, slamming into a field the drone belonged to Russia attack.
near a student dormitory late or Ukraine.