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BAGHDAD, Aug. 28 (AP) A small homemade explosive detonated near Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Friday as an Australian diplomatic convoy entered the area, two security officials told The Associated Press.
No injuries were reported.
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The blast came as Australia’s diplomatic corps in Iraq struggled to mediate between influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran-backed rival Shiite factions to end, according to security officials. One of the worst political crises in Iraq in recent years.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Sahaf condemned the attack and said Iraq was committed to protecting all diplomatic missions in the country.
Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has been unsuccessful in bringing these bickering groups to reconciliation. Sadr’s party refused to attend last week’s Kadimi meeting.
Despite the explosion, the Australian team was able to enter the Green Zone.
Since last year’s parliamentary elections, Sadr’s followers and his political opponent — a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite groups — known as the Coordination Framework, have been at odds.
Sadr won the largest share of seats in the October vote but failed to form a majority government, leading to one of Iraq’s worst political crises in recent years. His supporters stormed parliament in late July, where they held frequent protests.
Inflammatory clergy supporters have regularly protested, calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections.
On Tuesday, Sadr’s supporters set up tents and protested outside the Supreme Judicial Council, accusing it of being politicized to support his Iran-backed allies. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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