Iraq: Arrests made after homemade bomb attack on KFC in Baghdad

Yesterday, Iraqi security forces announced the arrest of two gunmen who targeted a KFC branch in Baghdad with a homemade bomb. The attack occurred on Saturday night, when two suspects on a motorcycle threw an explosive device at the KFC restaurant on Palestine Street, according to a statement from Baghdad Operations Command.

The statement noted that the perpetrators were identified through surveillance footage and subsequently arrested, with their handguns also confiscated. The attack caused material damage to the restaurant’s entrance, but no casualties were reported.

Separate footage has spread online showing angry protestors storming and vandalising the fast-food branch, following the latest massacre in Rafah.

Angry Iraqis destroy an American KFC in Baghdad, angered by the massacre of Palestinians in Rafah and American support for the Zionist regime. pic.twitter.com/aBA2rBpUVQ

— S p r i n t e r F a c t o r y (@Sprinterfactory) May 27, 2024

KFC, a globally recognised US fast-food chain, is among several Western brands facing boycott calls over alleged ties to Israel amid the genocide taking place in Gaza. Boycotts have significantly impacted the earnings of other popular chains like McDonald’s and Starbucks, particularly in the Muslim world.

The US-backed, Israeli military campaign against the Gaza Strip, has resulted in over 35,700 deaths, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Iraq, a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, has frequently condemned the lack of international support for Palestinian justice. KFC also has several branches in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, including in Erbil and Duhok.

Last month, just two days after opening its first branch in Algeria, KFC was temporarily shut down amid protests against US support for Israel.

READ: KFC faces battering over Palestine in Malaysia, over 100 units shut