Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
A missile struck the helipad at the United States Embassy in Baghdad, causing a fire and a large plume of smoke to rise above the compound, according to two Iraqi security officials cited by Associated Press.
The embassy complex, located in the fortified Green Zone, Baghdad, is one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world. Officials said the strike hit the helicopter landing area inside the compound.
The embassy has not yet issued an official comment on the incident.
The diplomatic compound has been targeted multiple times in the past by rockets and drones launched by armed groups linked to Iran, according to Iraqi authorities.
On Friday, the embassy raised the security level for Iraq to Level 4, warning that Iran and militias it supports had previously attacked Americans, U.S. facilities and infrastructure, and could carry out further strikes.
Earlier, on March 8, a powerful explosion also occurred near the United States Embassy in Oslo in Oslo, damaging part of the building. Police said the blast happened near the entrance to the consular section. Witnesses reported hearing the explosion around 1 a.m. local time, after which thick smoke filled the street.
