After Suleimani's assassination: Rockets were launched at US targets in Iraq

Katyushas were fired at the US Embassy in Baghdad as well as the US Air Force Base. At the same time, five were wounded by mortar shell fire in the capital.

After Suleimani's assassination: Rockets were launched at US targets in Iraq

Rockets were launched Saturday evening at the US Embassy in Baghdad and at the US Air Force Base. Katyusha fell near the embassy in the Green Zone, and at the same time two Katyushas fell inside a bled base, some 80 kilometers north of Baghdad, with American forces stationed.

The Iraqi army said that "some rockets were launched at the big celebrations square and the Jadiriya area in Baghdad and the Air Force base only in Salah a-Din province. There are no fatalities."

In addition, five people were injured by a mortar shell in the Jadiria neighborhood of the capital. At the same time, the Lebanese al-Muyadin network close to Iran reported that targets on the Iraq-Syria border have been attacked from the air.

Hezbollah regiments, the pro-Iranian militia whose targets were first attacked by the United States following the killing of a US citizen from a rocket launched at a base in northern Iraq last Friday, have called on security forces to stay away from US bases for at least one kilometer starting tomorrow evening. "They should not act as human shields for invaders," the militia statement said.

Read more on the subject

Damage to car following rocket launch to Baghdad, tonight

Rocket Launches at US Destinations in Iraq, January 4, 2020 (Photo: Screenshot)

The attacks happened after the assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Kassem Suleimani, who was killed in a US air strike on Thursday night near Baghdad airport. Iran has promised revenge, and a Revolutionary Guards official has warned that Tel Aviv and dozens of US targets are within its reach.

Earlier today tens of thousands of people participated in Suleimani's funeral procession. The mass ceremony also includes the funeral of those killed in the attack, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandas, the deputy commander of Shiite militias in Iraq, and several other militiamen who were with them in a car convoy. Suleimani's body is expected to arrive in Tehran tonight before passing through the holy Shiite city of Mashhad, and on Sunday a religious ceremony will be held near the grave of Imam Raza. On Tuesday, a ceremony will be held in memory of Suleimani at Tehran University and according to the Revolutionary Guards in the evening, he will be buried in the city of Karman where he grew up. Last night, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived at Suleimani's widow's house as part of a condolence visit to the family home.

Embroidery from Villa in Baghdad: Suleimani's US Tackling That Eliminated

Iran promised revenge. Suleimani's funeral in Baghdad, today (Photo: Reuters)

Tens of thousands in Quds Qasim Suleimani's funeral procession in Baghdad, Iraq, January 4, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

After the assassination, the United States Embassy in Baghdad called on its citizens to "leave Iraq immediately." The embassy statement said: "Because of the increased tensions in Iraq and the region, the United States Embassy calls on American citizens to be careful and leave Iraq immediately. Citizens who need to leave at airports and fail, leave other countries by land." The Pentagon has approved the deployment of another 3,000 U.S. Army soldiers making their way to the Middle East.

At the same time, the British army has also increased security throughout its bases in the Middle East. The kingdom warned its citizens and sought to avoid traveling to Iraq, outside the Kurdish-controlled region, or Iran. Foreign Minister Dominique Rab said: "Given the increased tensions in the region, the Foreign Office now recommends not going to Iraq, except the Kurdistan region, and carefully consider whether it is essential to travel to Iran."

In addition, the US-led coalition and NATO have announced suspension of Iraqi security forces training missions due to the situation.

US troops are preparing to take off for Middle East today (Photo: Reuters)

US troops prepare to take off for reinforcements in the Middle East, January 4, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

Sulaymani's assassination has provoked angry reactions among Iran's allies in the region. Today, a Hezbollah official said the response of the "resistance axis" will be difficult. Mohammed Reed, who is leading the faction in the parliament, said the United States "made a mistake," which it will recognize in the coming days.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has spoken to his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Muhammad Jawad Zarif, and has attacked the United States. A statement from the Russian foreign ministry stated that "Lavrov expressed his condolences for Suleimani's death. Ministers emphasized that such actions by the United States were grossly violating international law."

(First update: 19:33)

Damage caused to the structure following the rocket launch to Baghdad, tonight

Rocket Launches at US Destinations in Iraq, January 4, 2020 (Photo: Screenshot)