Pope Francis’ Trip to Iraq Proceeds Despite Security Concerns
19 Feb 2021
ROME Pope Francis’ plans to travel to Iraq on March 5 are “unaffected” by recent violence in Baghdad and Erbil, the Vatican and Iraq’s Foreign Ministry concur.
Last Monday, an Iraqi armed group called Guardian of Blood Brigades fired off more than a dozen rockets at the airport and civilian areas of Erbil, killing a U.S. military contractor and wounding six others, including a U.S. service member.
On January 21, twin suicide bombings perpetrated by Islamic State terrorists in Baghdad claimed 32 lives, injuring at least 100 more.
In December, Iran-linked gang members and militia fighters carried out bombing raids on liquor stories in Baghdad, mostly owned by Christians and Yazidis.
US ‘outraged’ by rocket attack
Washington has vowed to “hold accountable those responsible” for a rocket attack in the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan that killed a civilian contractor. A US service member and five other contractors were injured when rockets hits sites in Irbil yesterday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was “outraged” by the attack. A little-known pro-Iranian Shiite militia known as The Guardians of Blood Brigades has claimed responsibility, saying it had targeted “the American occupation”.
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Vaccine rollout causing fall in cases
The ongoing vaccination campaign is already reducing hospital admissions, deaths and transmission of Covid-19 in Britain, according to early data. Boris Johnson said that there were “interesting straws in the wind” and “grounds for confidence” on vaccines cutting the spread of infection. Studies of elderly people and healthcare workers are also showing “encouraging” news, The Times reports. Howe
February 16, 2021
Special Dispatch No. 9188
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Claims Rocket Attack On Erbil Base Killed Senior U.S. Officers, Says More Attacks Will Follow If Kurdistan Leadership Continues To Host U.S. Forces, Allow Turkish Military Incursion
February 16, 2021
The following report is now a complimentary
offering from MEMRI s Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information,
.
On February 16, 2021, Saraya Awlia Al-Dam (The Guardian of Blood Brigades), an Iran-backed militia in Iraq, issued a statement on its Telegram channel highlighting the reasons behind the group s rocket attack, carried out on February 15, which targeted a military base housing U.S. forces in Erbil, northern Iraq. The statement suggested that further attacks may be carried out in the Kurdistan region if the regional government continues to cooperate with U.S. forces and continues to allow Turkish military activity within Iraq s borders.[1]
US vows consequences for perpetrators of Erbil attack yenisafak.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yenisafak.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.