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A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Saturday, two Iraqi security officials told the Associated Press (AP), as video footage showed smoke billowing from inside the complex and an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist confirmed seeing smoke rising from the facility.
The projectile landed within the embassy's boundaries after entering the Green Zone, the heavily fortified district in central Baghdad that houses Iraqi government institutions and foreign embassies, according to the security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak with the press.
A second security source confirmed to AFP that a drone had targeted the diplomatic mission.
The attack took place shortly after two Iran-backed fighters were killed in strikes on Baghdad, according to several sources.
On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens, interests, and infrastructure and "may continue to target them."
The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones in the past by Iran-aligned militias. These groups have recently stepped up attacks on bases hosting U.S. and coalition troops.
A drone strike in northern Iraq on Thursday killed a French soldier and wounded several others stationed there as part of an international coalition.
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