Drone Strike Kills Officer Near Iraqi Intelligence Headquarters in Baghdad

Iraqi National Intelligence Service Headquarters Attacked with Drone Strikes

A drone strike targeted the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in Baghdad’s Mansour district at approximately 10am local time on Saturday, according to General Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi government’s security media unit. The attack occurred hours after another incident involving a US military complex.

According to a security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, the drone targeted a “communications building” that houses an Iraqi security agency working with US advisers on security matters. Another drone crashed into a private sports club popular with the Iraqi elite and foreign diplomats.

Separately, at least three drone attacks were reported targeting a US diplomatic and logistics hub at Baghdad International Airport overnight from Friday to Saturday. A fire broke out near the base following the third attack.

The incident is part of ongoing regional tensions sparked by the US-Israeli strikes on neighboring Iran on February 28. Iraq has been affected by these conflicts, with its territory being targeted frequently since then.

A fighter from the Hashed al-Shaabi former paramilitary coalition was killed in an attack on a military airfield in northern Iraq late on Friday. The group blamed the attack on the US and Israel. On Thursday, the Pentagon acknowledged that combat helicopters had carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the latest conflict.

The attacks have been attributed to “outlaw groups” by General Maan.

Source: Al Jazeera