Peregraf
The United States on Monday urged the Iraqi government to swiftly bring to justice those behind a deadly armed assault on a government office in Baghdad, holding the Iran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah responsible for the violence.
The attack, carried out on Sunday by members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), targeted a branch of the Ministry of Agriculture in the Karkh district. Three people were killed, including a federal policeman, a civilian, and a fighter from Kataib Hezbollah — a powerful militia within the PMF network and a US-designated terrorist group.
"We call on the Government of Iraq to take measures to bring these perpetrators and their leaders to justice without delay," the US Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement. It blamed Kataib Hezbollah for the incident, expressing condolences for the lives lost and wishing the wounded a speedy recovery.
The attack underscored growing tensions within Iraq's security apparatus, as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani convened an emergency meeting and vowed accountability. "No one has the right to replace the state or its authorities, and no party is above the law," he declared, ordering a formal investigation.
The Iraqi Ruling Shiite Coordination Framework— a political alliance that includes groups aligned with the PMF — also condemned the attack, calling it a breach of state authority and legal norms.
Since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, Kataib Hezbollah has been accused of multiple attacks targeting US interests across the region, reinforcing Washington’s view of the group as a central node in Iran’s so-called Axis of Resistance.