At least nine rockets landed on Thursday near the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone, home to government buildings and foreign missions, according to a military statement, as a controversial parliament session was about to begin to elect the country’s new president, reports Aljazeera.
Several civilians and members of the security forces were wounded in the attack, Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed reported from Baghdad.
Abdelwahed said preliminary information suggests at least nine rockets landed in and around the fortified area as the parliament was about to begin its session, which has been boycotted by members of parliament affiliated with powerful Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
Iraqi lawmakers reconvened in the afternoon after quorum was reached to postpone the session, with at least 269 of the 329 members attending the session, it said.
A first round of voting on the presidential nomination resulted in failure to reach required two-thirds majority. A second round voting is was under way.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
