After surviving a failed assassination attempt involving a "booby-trapped drone" that targeted his residence in Baghdad early on Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, in a recorded message addressed to all Iraqis, affirmed that cowardly missiles and drones do not build nations. He emphasized that he is safe and unharmed following the attack on his home, adding that security forces are working to protect the country. He noted that the building of nations can only occur through respect for state institutions. Additionally, he called for restraint in the interest of the country and for calm and constructive dialogue among all segments of Iraqi society.
Al-Kadhimi also previously stated in a tweet earlier that day that the "treacherous missiles" would not dampen his resolve, nor would they impact the security forces' work and their insistence on protecting the people's safety and rights. He reassured Iraqis about his health, confirming that he is well, and considered himself "a project of sacrifice for Iraq and its people."
It is worth mentioning that the attack on the Prime Minister's house occurred amid intense political tensions in the country following the early parliamentary elections held on October 10, with Iranian-backed factions and political blocs representing the Popular Mobilization Forces rejecting the preliminary results, which showed a significant reduction in their number of seats.
The Joint Operations Command announced that the "assassination attempt was unsuccessful" and was carried out using a "booby-trapped drone" targeting Al-Kadhimi's residence in the fortified Green Zone of Baghdad. This attempt followed recent protests and sit-ins around the Green Zone, which houses several Iraqi official institutions, as well as various embassies and consulates, including the United States Embassy. Protests by supporters of the "loyal" factions (referring to those aligned with Tehran as described in Iraq) against the election results have intensified over the past two weeks, leading to confrontations with security forces on Friday, resulting in at least one protester fatality.
