Iraq's capital Baghdad rocked by powerful blasts near US embassy

"Iraq's capital, Baghdad, has been rocked by a series of explosions close to the United States embassy in the city's heavily fortified Green Zone as the rapidly escalating US-Israeli war on Iran continued to spill over the border. We've had drone activity here in Baghdad's Green Zone, where the US embassy is located and we understand that two drones [were] intercepted, while the third disappeared off radar."

"Security sources told the Reuters news agency that at least three explosive drones also targeted a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad International Airport, activating C-RAM air defence systems. Baig said he heard a series of loud explosions and that debris had fallen across the city, causing damage to windows and infrastructure in a university compound in the neighbourhood of al-Dura."

"There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday's attacks, which are part of an escalating cycle of violence between US forces and Iraqi armed groups aligned with Tehran. The violence came a day after four people were killed in an air raid on a building used as a headquarters by the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), which includes several groups aligned with Iran."

Baghdad experienced multiple drone attacks targeting US embassy facilities in the Green Zone and a diplomatic compound near Baghdad International Airport. At least three explosive drones were intercepted or went off radar, with air defense systems activated. Explosions caused widespread damage across the city, including debris falling on university compounds and a fire near the Central Bank. These attacks follow an earlier air raid that killed four people at a Popular Mobilisation Forces headquarters. The violence represents an escalating cycle between US forces and Iranian-aligned Iraqi armed groups, with no immediate casualties reported from Tuesday's attacks but demonstrating ongoing threats to Iraqi civilians.

Read at www.aljazeera.com