The leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, called on the parties concerned with the escalation of the crisis in Iraq to be rational, and warned of the occurrence of what he described as a Shiite - Shiite or sectarian clash.

This coincides with the escalation of attacks on US interests in Iraq, amid reports that Washington may close its embassy in Baghdad.

Al-Sadr said in a tweet that there are suspicious parties fueling the situation and endangering security, and he called on everyone to arbitrate reason, Sharia and love for the homeland, before taking any action that might drag the country into civil war or a Shiite-Shiite or sectarian clash.

pic.twitter.com/WPtXC1Srud

- Muqtada al-Sayyid Muhammad al-Sadr (@Mu_AlSadr) September 28, 2020

Al-Sadr’s tweet comes days after a statement in which he described the continued bombing of diplomatic missions as a weakening of Iraq, and called on the Iraqi government to form an investigation committee to find out the factions that carry out these attacks and hold them accountable.

Five civilians were killed when two Katyusha rockets landed on a house near Baghdad Airport (Reuters)

Civilian casualties

Al-Sadr's new tweet comes hours after a Katyusha missile targeted a camp housing American forces and diplomats inside Baghdad International Airport, but they fell on a neighboring house in the Radwaniyah area, leaving 5 civilians dead and two wounded.

The Joint Operations Command of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the two missiles caused the complete destruction of the house, noting that the two missiles were launched from the Jihad neighborhood, west of Baghdad.

The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, directed the arrest of the security force responsible for the area from which the two missiles were launched, and all the security authorities concerned, for failing to perform their duties, and to punish any force that neglects and allows such security breaches, according to the same statement.

Al-Kazemi also ordered "an immediate investigation into the incident, and the prosecution of the perpetrators, regardless of their affiliations and connections, to receive the most severe penalties."

reactions

In reactions to the incident, the Al-Fateh Alliance in Iraq led by Hadi Al-Amiri said that "terrorism and its brutal groups" are behind the recent bombing operations with the aim of "mixing the cards, spreading discord and accusing the struggling national factions", calling for the disclosure of those behind these operations and violations.

The coalition added in a statement that it "expresses its strong condemnation and denunciation of the security breach that resulted in the killing and wounding of 7 people in the Radwaniyah area, west of the capital, Baghdad," and considers it "a heinous crime and aggression against the Iraqis."

For its part, the Iraqi Forces Alliance called on the government to take a "bold" decision in pursuing armed groups outside the framework of the law and eliminating "gangs of fugitive weapons."

In turn, the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, confirmed that the region supports Al-Kazemi's steps in confronting threats against foreign missions.

Barzani said in a press statement issued on the sidelines of his meeting with Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerrini in Erbil, that the tasks of diplomatic missions and the international coalition are necessary to support Iraq, and it is imperative to protect their security and safety.

For weeks, attacks targeting US forces and the forces and interests of other countries in the international coalition to fight ISIS have escalated, amid reports that Washington may close its embassy in Baghdad for a period of 90 days.

No one has claimed responsibility for these attacks, but Washington accuses armed Iraqi factions linked to Iran of being behind them.