War

Blasts Rock Baghdad, Targeting Iran-Allied Groups, US Embassy
Explosions rocked multiple sites in Baghdad early on March 14, with an Iran-allied group being the target of two blasts while a drone attack reportedly targeted the US Embassy in the Iraqi capital.Iraq, despite not being directly involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran, has increasingly seen violence spill over into its territory since the war started on February 28.Two strikes targeted the powerful Iran-allied Kataeb Hezbollah group, killing two members including a "key figure," according to security sources.At 2:15 a.m. on March 14, "a missile struck a house that was being used by Kataeb Hezbollah," a security source told AFP, adding that "a key figure was martyred," and two group members were injured.The US embassy in Baghdad's fortified "Green Zone" is pictured on March 8.About two hours later, an air strike hit a vehicle in eastern Baghdad, killing "a member of the Hashed al-Shaabi," another security source said. AFP quoted A Hashed al-Shaabi official told AFP the member killed belongs to Kataeb Hezbollah.Hashed al-Shaabi, also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is a former paramilitary group now integrated into Iraq's regular armed forces.The sources said it was not known who was behind the attacks, although Iran-backed fighters have blamed the United States and Israel in the past.AFP later quoted an Iraqi security official as saying a drone attack had taken place against the highly guarded US Embassy in Baghdad. The report could not immediately be verified and details were scarce, but an AFP journalist reported seeing smoke rising from the complex."A drone hit the embassy," the official said, with a second security source confirming that an attack had targeted the diplomatic mission.