UN Mission In Iraq Decries Airstrike On Parliamentary Speaker’s House
Baghdad, Jan 26: The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq on Wednesday denounced a rocket strike at the residence of Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi and urged the authorities to bring those behind the attack to justice. The attack occurred on Tuesday, hours after the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court rejected an appeal to nullify al-Halbousi’s re-election to Speaker’s position earlier this month.
Two children were reported injured by the shockwave and debris from the rocket. “We condemn rocket attack near Speaker Halbousi’s Anbar residence, injuring civilians: a cowardly attempt to create chaos. We urge authorities to intensify efforts to prevent such acts and apprehend perpetrators. Calm and restraint must prevail to thwart attempts to destabilize,” the mission tweeted.
The attack came amid tensions between rival blocs in the Iraqi parliament after early legislative elections in October 2021, whose first session was held on January 9 turned to disarray over the formation of a new government, including the selection of the prime minister and the president. The dispute stems from disagreements about which bloc had the rightful majority and could lead the government formation process. Al-Halbousi’s reelection for the second term as the parliamentary speaker was challenged by two lawmakers before being upheld by the court on Tuesday. U
