The Mansour headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in Baghdad was struck by a drone around 10:00 local time, killing one police officer and damaging a communications building used in cooperation with US advisers. A second drone that appeared to be filming the strike crashed into a private members' sports club. The attack followed overnight drone strikes on a US diplomatic and logistics hub at Baghdad International Airport amid an uptick in tit-for-tat incidents since the Feb. 28 US-Israel strike on Iran.
Drone Strike Kills Police Officer Near Iraqi Intelligence HQ in Baghdad
A fire burns outside the grounds of the United States embassy headquarters in Baghdad's fortified 'Green Zone' on March 17 following a drone and rocket attack, according to security officials [File: AFP]
One police officer was killed when a drone struck the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) in the Mansour district of central Baghdad on Saturday morning, Iraqi officials said.
Timing and location: The attack occurred at about 10:00 local time (07:00 GMT), according to General Saad Maan, head of the Iraqi government’s security media unit.
"A drone targeted the headquarters of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service in the Mansour district," General Saad Maan said in a brief statement.
A security official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the drone struck a communications building that houses an Iraqi security agency which works alongside US advisers on security matters. The official described the perpetrators as "outlaw groups."
Second drone and damage: A second drone, apparently filming the operation, crashed into a private members' sports club popular with Iraq's elite and foreign diplomats, the same source said. Local authorities are investigating the club impact and any collateral damage.
Related attacks overnight: The strike on the INIS headquarters came hours after at least three drone attacks overnight targeted a US diplomatic and logistics hub that also houses US military personnel at Baghdad International Airport, two security officials said. One of those officials reported a fire near the base following the third attack.
Wider context: Iraqi territory has frequently been struck since the Feb. 28 US-Israel strike on neighbouring Iran, drawing Iraq unwillingly into a broader regional escalation. US and Israeli operations have targeted Iran-backed groups, which have responded with near-daily attacks on US interests across Iraq and the wider region.
Additional incidents: Late on Friday, a fighter from the Hashed al-Shaabi former paramilitary coalition was killed in an attack on a military airfield in northern Iraq; the group blamed the United States and Israel. On Thursday, the Pentagon acknowledged that combat helicopters had carried out strikes against pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq during the recent escalation.
Iraqi security services say investigations are ongoing to determine responsibility, motives and the full extent of damage. No further casualties were reported publicly at the time of the statement.
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