07 Feb 2024 | 11:00 PM UTC
Iraq: Demonstrations likely in Baghdad after US drone strike kills Kata'ib Hizballah commander in capital's Mashtal area late Feb. 7 /update 1
Protests likely in Baghdad, Iraq, after US drone strike kills Kata'ib Hizballah commander in Mashtal area late Feb. 7; Green Zone closed.
Demonstrations are likely in parts of Baghdad over the coming days after a US drone strike killed Kata'ib Hizballah commander Abu Baqir al-Saadi and at least two other members of the Iran-backed militia group in the capital late Feb. 7. The drone attack reportedly targeted al-Saadi while he was in a vehicle in the Mashtal area. US Central Command said that the killed Kata'ib Hizballah commander was "responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on US forces in the region." Emergency responders deployed to the scene following the attack, and crowds gathered as authorities examined the destroyed vehicle; authorities later removed the debris from the vicinity. Security forces have reportedly closed entrances to the capital's Green Zone amid calls for demonstrators to storm the US Embassy in the area.
Related demonstrations are most likely to materialize on routes leading to the US Embassy, on other major thoroughfares, around Iraqi government buildings, and near landmarks. Authorities will probably deploy a heightened security presence to monitor any large demonstrations that occur. Transport and business disruptions are likely in areas that are subject to protest activity and increased security; officials may close additional roads on short notice to facilitate protest activity or safeguard sensitive sites. Clashes between protesters and security forces cannot be ruled out.
Iran-backed militia fighters may also attempt to launch projectile attacks on US and allied facilities and interests in Baghdad over the coming days in response to the Feb. 7 drone strike.
Avoid all protest activity as a precaution. If violence breaks out in your area, leave the vicinity and seek shelter in a secure, nongovernmental building. Consider taking alternative routes to circumvent protest-affected areas and any related disruptions. Adhere to all instructions issued by local officials and your home government.
If incoming projectiles are reported or warning sirens sound in the general vicinity, stay indoors and away from windows and exterior walls. If possible, move to a ground floor, basement, or bunker. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation.
The Feb. 7 US drone strike in Baghdad comes after a drone attack, attributed by the US to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, killed three US service members and wounded dozens of others at the Tower 22 base in northeastern Jordan on Jan. 28. The US military initially responded to the Jan. 28 attack by launching strikes on some 85 targets linked either to the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or Iran-backed militia groups in seven locations in Iraq and Syria on Feb. 2. US President Joe Biden asserted that the Feb. 2 strikes would be the first in a series of actions taken by the US to respond to the Jan. 28 attack on the Tower 22 base.
