Several rockets hit near US embassy in Iraqi capital Baghdad

A volley of rockets has hit near the US embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, security sources told AFP.

One security source said three Katyusha rockets landed near the US embassy while another said as many as five struck the area.

AFP reporters said loud thuds could be heard from the western bank of the Tigris River, where the US embassy is located, after the rockets made impact on Sunday.

There has been no immediate report of casualties or any claim of responsibility.

In a statement later on Sunday, Iraqi security forces said five rockets have struck the high-security Green Zone, without mentioning the US embassy.

The Green Zone is one of the world's most high-security institutional quarters. Located in the center of the Iraqi capital, it houses parliament, the prime minister's office, the presidency, other key institutions, top officials' homes and embassies.

The American embassy in Baghdad -- the world's largest -- lies within the fortified neighborhood, also known as the International Zone, which is surrounded by concrete walls.

In recent months, however, the fortified zone has been repeatedly targeted by Katyusha rockets.

Two Katyusha rockets hit near US embassy in Baghdad's Green Zone

No casualties have been reported after two Katyusha rockets hit central Baghdad

Sunday's rocket fire comes two days after a “million-man” protest in Baghdad against US troop presence in Iraq.

The massive rally came after influential cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on Iraqis to stage "a million-strong, peaceful, unified demonstration to condemn the American presence and its violations".

Anti-American sentiment has been running high in Iraq following the US assassination of top Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and the deputy head of the PMU, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, along with their companions.

Around 5,200 US troops are still in Iraq. Earlier this month, the Iraqi parliament voted to expel all American forces from the country.

US President Donald Trump has refused to discuss the withdrawal with Iraq’s acting Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and instead threatened to seize about $35 billion of Iraqi oil revenues held in a bank account in New York.

The January 3 US assassination of the Middle East's most prominent anti-terror commander General Soleimani prompted tens of millions in Iraq, Iran, India, Pakistan and elsewhere to take to the streets and vent their anger at the United States.

Iranians turned out in numbers unmatched in its history to honor the charismatic commander and call for revenge.

The Islamic Republic pounded two US military bases in Iraq with a volley of precision-guided missiles which sent ripples through the world.

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