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A rocket fired from a drone targeted the home of populist Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Saturday, lawmakers from his Saeroon party said, following one of the capitals bloodiest nights in recent weeks.
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The drone attack, which caused little damage and left no casualties, followed a deadly attack by armed men near Baghdads main protest site on Friday night, which left at least 23 dead, police and medical sources said.
Nearly 130 others were wounded by gunfire and stabbings targeting anti-government protesters at the Sinak bridge near Tahrir Square, the sources said. The death toll includes three members of the police.
Thousands of Iraqis have occupied the central square and three nearby bridges which lead to the citys Green Zone, Iraqs political centre, for more than two months, calling for a complete uprooting of the political system.
Friday and Saturdays attacks came days after Iraqs prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, said he would resign.
Sadr, a mercurial figure who has supported the protests but not thrown his full weight behind them, was in Iran at the time of the drone attack on his home in the southern holy city of Najaf, a source in his office said.
However, a spokesman for his party said the incidents were aimed at pressuring both protesters and political leaders to accept whichever candidate is nominated for the premiership by the ruling elite.
“The Sinak massacre and the bombing of (Sadrs home) is geared at pushing the acceptance of the candidate for prime minister,” said Jaafar Al-Mousawi.
Iranian officials including the powerful commander of its Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, stepped in to prevent Abdul Mahdis resignation in October, Reuters reported.
Soleimani was reported to be in Baghdad this week, negotiating with political leaders for a new consensus candidate for prime minister.
Masked gunmen
The weekends developments marked a drastic escalation to quell the demonstrations, the countrys largest in decades. More than 430 people have been killed since protests began on Oct. 1.
Security sources said they could not identify the gunmen who attaRead More – Source
