Iraq PM says those attempted to assassinate him are well known

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said yesterday that he knows who attacked his home with drones in order to assassinate him, pledging to punish them, Anadolu reported.

“We will pursue those who committed yesterday’s crime,” he pledged. “We know them well, and we will expose them,” he stressed.

Al-Kadhimi escaped unhurt after two explosive-laden drones targeted his home in the highly-fortified Green Zone early yesterday.

Security measures around the Green Zone and other points in the Iraqi capital have been stepped up with the deployment of military vehicles.

The attempt to target Al-Kadhimi followed violent unrest in the country over recent election results, which have created uncertainty over Al-Kadhimi’s stint in the top echelons of power, Anadolu said.

READ: Iraqi premier orders probe into Diyala’s sectarian violence

Reports have claimed that Shia militias close to Iran carried out the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility.

He stressed: “We have ordered the opening of an immediate investigation into the violations against the protests which took place on Friday in the Green Zone. We will imprison anyone who violated the law and no one will evade justice because we do not differentiate among Iraqis.”

On Friday, Iraqis protested against the results of the elections and clashed with security forces. Some 125 people, including 27 security forces, were hurt during the protests.

The Iraqi election commission said, last week, it started recounting ballot boxes in 2,000 voting stations, based on 1,400 complaints presented to the commission by political parties.

The commission will announce the final results of the recount when it is completed, and send them to the country’s Federal Court (Constitutional Court) for approval.

Shia cleric, Muqtada Al-Sadr’s party won 73 seats in parliament, the highest, followed by the Taqaddum bloc of Parliament Speaker, Mohamed Halbousi, with 37 and the State of Law Coalition, led by former Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, with 34 seats.

The Iranian-backed Al-Fatah Coalition, which won 17 seats compared to 48 seats in the 2018 elections, has already rejected the vote results.