Iraq's official Security Media Cell denied on Monday reports that a rocket fell in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport earlier in the day
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th July, 2020) Iraq's official Security Media Cell denied on Monday reports that a rocket fell in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport earlier in the day.
"Several news outlets reported that a Katyusha rocket landed near the Baghdad International Airport terminal. We completely deny this news, as the Baghdad Operations Command did not declare any rocket launches until 00:50 local time [21:50 GMT]. We call on the media to be accurate and take information exclusively from the Security Media Cell," the service wrote on Twitter.
Early on Sunday, the US Patriot air defense system repelled a rocket attack that targeted the US embassy in the Iraqi capital. One child was reportedly injured when the rocket fell on a residential building, located near the diplomatic mission.
A US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik an investigation into the incident was underway.
The attack on the embassy happened several hours after the US forces located in Baghdad's Green Zone tested the Patriot defense systems. Iraqi lawmakers have condemned the test, stating that it was a provocation.
The Green Zone occasionally suffers from rocket attacks on account of it being the location where government facilities and foreign embassies are situated. In mid-June, Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhemi ordered the creation of a special authority to stop such actions.
