Aftermath of drone strike on Iraq PM's Baghdad residence: Photos show devastation caused by assassination attempt on Mustafa al-Kadhimi as he appeals to country for 'calm and restraint' Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said he was unhurt after his residence was hit by a drone He called for 'calm and restraint' following the attack

 Images have emerged of the Iraqi Prime Minister's damaged home after explosive-laden drones were fired at his residence in an assassination attempt.

Piles of rubble lay strewn across the residence and doors had been blown off their hinges after Mustafa Al-Kadhimi's residence in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone was targeted by a drone in the early hours of Sunday.  

Elsewhere a damaged SUV vehicle was spotted parked in the PM's garage as officers stood guard. 

Remains of a small explosive-laden drone used in the attack were also retrieved by security forces to be investigated, a security official with knowledge of the attack said.

The attack, which left seven members of Mr Al-Kadhimi's personal protection injured, came after protests in the Iraqi capital over the result of a general election last month turned violent. 

Today, Iraq's Prime Minister said the 'rocket's of treachery will not discourage believers' as he called for 'calm and restraint' in the aftermath of his assassination attempt.    

Images from inside the Iraqi Prime Minister's home showed rubble scattered across the residence

Images from inside the Iraqi Prime Minister's home showed rubble scattered across the residence 

The PM's residence in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone was targeted by a drone laden with explosives

 The PM's residence in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone was targeted by a drone laden with explosives

A damaged SUV vehicle parked in the garage of the Iraqi Prime Minister's home

A damaged SUV vehicle parked in the garage of the Iraqi Prime Minister's home 

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said he was unhurt and called for 'calm and restraint' today

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said he was unhurt and called for 'calm and restraint' today

He wrote on Twitter: 'The rockets of treachery will not discourage the believers. The steadfastness and insistence of our heroic security forces will not falter as they work to preserve the security of the people, achieve justice and enforce the law.

'I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint from everyone, for the sake of Iraq.' 

He later appeared on Iraqi television, seated behind a desk in a white shirt, looking calm and composed. 

'Cowardly rocket and drone attacks don't build homelands and don't build a future,' he said. 

A security official on condition of anonymity said: 'It's premature now to say who carried out the attack.

'We're checking our intelligence reports and waiting for initial investigation results to point the finger at perpetrators.'

In a statement, the government said an explosives-laden drone tried to hit Mr Al-Kadhimi's home.  

Three drones were used in the attack, including two that were intercepted and downed by security forces while a third drone hit the residence, state news agency INA quoted a spokesman for the interior ministry as saying.  

Residents of Baghdad heard the sound of an explosion followed by heavy gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone, which houses foreign embassies and government offices.

The statement released by state-run media said security forces were 'taking the necessary measures in connection with this failed attempt.'

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies. 

It comes amid a stand-off between security forces and pro-Iran Shiite militias whose supporters have been camped outside the Green Zone for nearly a month after they rejected the results of Iraq's parliamentary elections in which they lost around two-thirds of their seats. 

On Friday, protests turned deadly when the demonstrators tried to enter the Green Zone and pelted police with stones, injuring several officers.

The police responded with tear gas and live gunfire, killing at least one demonstrator, according to security and hospital sources in Baghdad.    

Independent analysts say the election results were a reflection of anger towards the Iran-backed armed groups, which are widely accused of involvement in the killing of nearly 600 protesters who took the street in separate, anti-government demonstrations in 2019. 

Images showed bricks and rubble strewn across the floor in the aftermath of the attack on the Iraqi PM's home which is under investigation

 Images showed bricks and rubble strewn across the floor in the aftermath of the attack on the Iraqi PM's home which is under investigation

Security sources said remains of a small explosive-laden drone used in the attack were also retrieved

Security sources said remains of a small explosive-laden drone used in the attack were also retrieved

Residents of Baghdad heard the sound of an explosion followed by heavy gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone

 Residents of Baghdad heard the sound of an explosion followed by heavy gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone

An image released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's office shows the damage caused by the drone attack

An image released by the Iraqi Prime Minister's office shows the damage caused by the drone attackBricks and pieces of wood lay strewn across the floor in the aftermath of the drone attack on Sunday

Bricks and pieces of wood lay strewn across the floor in the aftermath of the drone attack on SundayFollowing the assassination attempt, the U.S. strongly denounced the 'act of terrorism' which was 'directed at the heart of the Iraqi state'

 The United States, which has around 2,500 troops in the country, said it was 'relieved to learn the Prime Minister was unharmed'. 

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said: 'This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state.

'We are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq's sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate this attack.' 

Iraq's President Barham Salih, who holds a largely ceremonial role, said the attack 'requires a united position in confronting the evil actors trying to mess with this country's security and the safety of its people.

'We cannot accept dragging Iraq into chaos and to a coup against the constitutional system.' 

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi also condemned the assassination attempt.   

Mr Al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt after his Baghdad home, pictured was targeted by a drone laden with explosives

Mr Al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt after his Baghdad home, pictured was targeted by a drone laden with explosives

Security sources said the attack injured several members of Al-Kadhimi's personal protection

Security sources said the attack injured several members of Al-Kadhimi's personal protectionWriting on Facebook, he called on all sides in Iraq to 'calm down, renounce violence and join forces to preserve the country's stability.'

And Saudi Arabia issued a statement of support for stability in Iraq and said it strongly condemned the 'cowardly terrorist attack that targeted Iraq's prime minister.' 

Sunday's attack comes during  a period of soaring tensions over the results of the October 10 elections, the fifth since the 2003 US-led invasion ousted dictator Saddam Hussein with the promise of bringing freedom and democracy.

Hundreds of Hashed supporters clashed with police on Friday while protesting near the Green Zone to vent their fury over the preliminary result.

One protester died of injuries in hospital, according to a security source, while a Hashed source said two demonstrators were killed.

Several hundred supporters of pro-Iranian groups returned to the edge of the Green Zone on Saturday to protest, and some burned a portrait of the prime minister, whom they called a 'criminal'.

The pro-Hashed protests are aimed at strengthening its negotiating position duringthe coalition bargaining process, Iraqi political analyst Ihsan al-Shamari has said.Mr Al-Kadhimi was Iraq's former intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in May last year. 

He is considered by the militias to be close to the U.S., and has tried to balance between Iraq's alliances with both the U.S. and Iran. 

Prior to the elections, he hosted several rounds of talks between regional foes Iran and Saudi Arabia in Baghdad in a bid to ease regional tensions. 

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