Several rockets hit Baghdad's Green Zone as Iraq parliament meets

Baghdad (Iraq), October 13: As many as eight rockets hit Baghdad's highly protected Green Zone on Thursday, during the Parliament session to elect the country's new president. According to a military statement, the attack occurred as lawmakers gathered for the parliament session near the Iraqi capital's Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign missions. As per Al Jazeera, Iraqi Legislators reconvened in the afternoon when a quorum was reached to postpone the session, with at least 269 of the 329 members present. The required two-thirds majority was not achieved in the first round of presidential nomination voting. A second round was in progress. The rocket attacks came after an alliance of mostly Iran-backed Shiite parties nominated Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for prime minister and submitted an official letter claiming to be the largest bloc in Parliament. At least five people were injured including members of the security forces in Thursday's attack, according to VOA. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi condemned the incident on Twitter, saying, "we categorically reject any attempt to obstruct the democratic process." Also Read | SC delivers split verdict in Karnataka Hijab ban case "We support the completion of the constitutional deadlines to end the political crisis," he added. There is, however, no immediate claim of responsibility. Earlier this month, rockets hit the Green Zone as legislators were preparing to vote for the deputy speaker of parliament, according to Al Jazeera. When Iraqi cleric Al Sadr was first selected as the nominee, supporters stormed the parliament on June 30 and disrupted the government formation process. Notably, Al-Sadr's bloc won 73 seats in Iraq's October 2021 election, making it the strongest faction in the 329-seat parliament. However, efforts to establish a new government have stalled since the elections, and Al-Sadr has stood down from the political process. A stalemate over the formation of a new government persists. Also Read | Bar Association seeks five-Judge bench for Hijab issue, writes to CJI -PTC News