At Least 3 Shells Hit Baghdad's Green Zone, Adjacent Area of US Embassy in Iraq

The shelling comes hours after Iraq’s parliament voiced its support to order the withdrawal of US-led coalition troops from the country and end all foreign military presence in Iraq, including in the nation's airspace and surrounding territorial waters.

The Iraqi military said, cited by Reuters, that three katyusha-type projectiles hit late on Sunday the area with two shells hitting the heavily fortified Green Zone and another one the nearby Jadriya area.

According to various media reports, citing sources, several people were injured after Soviet-made katyusha-type projectiles, hit Baghdad’s so-called Green Zone - a dense area of governmental buildings - particularly, territory adjacent to the US embassy.

Iraqi sources say that at least one family was injured in the attack. Netizens have shared a footage allegedly showing the moment when the shells hit the Green Zone. The shaky video captures sounds of distant explosions.

🚨 Breaking 🚨 Rocket hits #Baghdad #Iraq green zone pic.twitter.com/6ZesKFyjRO

— Robert Lagueux (@BobLagueux) January 5, 2020

​No group has claimed responsibility for the shelling, according to reports.

Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shia militia within the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), posted an ultimatum to locally-stationed American forces to "get away" from Iraq by 5:00 p.m. local time (14:00 GMT), threatening to launch attacks on US military installations in the country.

The leader of the Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia paramilitary group, Aas’ib Ahl al-Haq Laith al-Khazali, has warned US military assets in the area they will be considered an occupying force if the Trump administration does not quickly implement the group's ultimatum to withdraw its troops from the nation.

On Saturday, the Iraqi capital saw several rocket attacks, including in the residential area of Al-Jadriya, and at the Balad military base that houses US forces some 50 miles north of Baghdad.

The escalation comes after a US drone strike on Friday assassinated Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani near the Baghdad International Airport. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stated that Tehran will take revenge for what it views as a terrorist attack by the US.

US President Donald Trump characterized the assassination of Soleimani as a preemptive move to prevent war, although later claiming that Washington had identified 52 Iranian targets at which US forces were ready to strike if Tehran retaliates for the extrajudicial killings.

A shocked international community has called for restraint and dialogue in the wake of rising threats of international violence.