Since last Sunday, American restaurants in the Iraqi capital Baghdad have been subjected to attacks carried out by masked and armed individuals, with videos documenting these events circulating among Iraqis on social media. On Monday, the Ministry of Interior and police sources reported that two branches of the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" chain were attacked in Baghdad over the past forty-eight hours, causing damage but no injuries, and that security forces arrested some suspects. Police sources indicated that initial investigations suggested the restaurants were targeted due to perceived support from U.S.-based brands for Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
In just 24 hours, masked individuals targeted three American restaurants in Baghdad, using bombs and explosives, or carrying out assaults with armed men, in what seems to be an organized operation whose objectives are not yet clear. The first attack occurred early on Sunday when two men on a motorcycle threw an improvised explosive device at a branch of the American fried chicken chain on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad, causing minor damage.
Additionally, another branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Baghdad and a second American-style restaurant were attacked the next day by a group of masked men who broke into the restaurants and used sticks to smash glass and destroy furniture. Police sources noted that the attackers fled before security forces arrived.
Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shamari issued a series of measures following the attacks on the restaurants. The ministry, which did not clarify the motives behind the attacks in its statement, reported that al-Shamari inspected the sites of the assaults with the commander of Baghdad Operations and several leaders, and oversaw the reopening of the restaurants, according to the Iraqi News Agency "WAA".
The ministry added that "the security agencies managed to arrest a number of suspects in these crimes, while search operations continued based on accurate intelligence regarding other individuals involved in this illegal act." It also mentioned that "the Minister of Interior instructed a number of procedures, including punishing negligent personnel from the handling forces, resulting in the dismissal and detention of one of the brigade commanders and the formation of an investigative council regarding him, as well as the detention of the response forces from emergency patrols, federal police, and intelligence for a month."
The minister emphasized the need for firm actions in any area where attacks occur. It is noteworthy that the motives behind these attacks have not officially been determined yet; however, they came hours after the death of about 45 Palestinians, mostly women and children, due to Israeli shelling on the Al-Salam camp in the Mowasi area west of Rafah, a region previously declared safe by the Israeli army.
