Iraq

Pope’s visit to Iraqi Ziggurat to bring together several faiths

Pope Francis is due to hold an inter-religious prayer service at the ancient Mesopotamian site of Ur when he visits Iraq next week - an event local archeologists hope will…

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Iraqi Christians prepare for Pope’s visit

Iraqi Christians are busy scrubbing churches, practising hymns and preparing for mass ahead of the first ever papal visit to the country, a four-day trip next month that is going…

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Iraq rocket attack hits U.S. forces, killing contractor

A rocket attack on U.S.-led forces in northern Iraq on Monday killed a civilian contractor and injured a U.S. service member, the U.S. coalition in Iraq said, in the deadliest such attack in almost…

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Senior Islamic State figure killed in Iraq, PM says

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces have killed Abu Yaser al-Issawi, an Islamic State commander who had claimed to be the leader of the group in Iraq and its "deputy…

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UPDATED: Rare twin suicide attack kills at least 23 in Baghdad

Two men blew themselves up in a crowded Baghdad market on Thursday, killing at least 32 people in Iraq’s first big suicide bombing for three years. Islamic State claimed responsibility…

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Rockets fired at U.S. embassy in Baghdad

At least eight Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone in an attack targeting the U.S. Embassy, causing some minor damage on the compound on Sunday, the Iraqi…

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Explosion near Baghdad airport, cause unclear, no casualties – sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An explosion took place near Baghdad international airport on Saturday in an area housing Iraqi military compounds, but caused no damage or casualties, security sources said. The…

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Pope Francis to restart international travel in March with a journey to Iraq

Pope Francis is set to break a 15-month hiatus from international travel with what is sure to be a historic visit to the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq. The Director…

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Gas pipeline blast in southern Iraq kills 2, injures 51, police say

At least two people were killed and 51 injured after a gas pipeline explosion in southern Iraq, police sources said on Saturday. The blast occurred on Friday night near the…

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U.S. won’t hesitate to protect soldiers in Iraq

The United States will not hesitate to act to protect its personnel in Iraq, where it considers Iranian-backed militias that have attacked U.S. targets to be the country's "single biggest…

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Iraq PM calls early election

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called an early general election for June 6, 2021, roughly a year ahead of when it would normally be held. Early elections are a key…

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Turkey plans more military bases in north Iraq after offensive

Turkey plans to set up more temporary military bases in northern Iraq after stepping up its strikes against Kurdish militants there, a senior Turkish official told Reuters, saying the effort…

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Iraq records over 1,000 coronavirus cases for first time

Iraq recorded more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time on Friday, with its total approaching 10,000 confirmed cases, the health ministry said. At…

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Iraqi women denied their property by relatives, tribes and militias – NRC

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women displaced by war remain unable to return to their homes because of systemic injustices that prevent them from proving or claiming ownership of their…

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U.S. wages retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq

The United States waged a series of precision air strikes late Thursday against an Iran-backed militia in Iraq that it blamed for a major rocket attack a day earlier that…

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Two U.S., one British personnel killed in Iraq rocket attack

One British and two American personnel were killed and about a dozen people were wounded when 18 small rockets hit Iraq’s Taji military camp north of Baghdad on Wednesday, U.S.…

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Iraq confirms first case of coronavirus

Iraq has confirmed its first novel coronavirus case in an elderly Iranian national living in the southern city of Najaf, according to health officials. Iraq had blocked travel to and…

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Rockets hit US embassy in Baghdad

At least three rockets struck the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Sunday. One rocket hit the embassy cafeteria while two others landed a short distance away.…

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34 US service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq

Thirty-four US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq earlier this month, Pentagon spokesman Jonathon Hoffman said Friday.…

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US military now says 11 troops were injured in Iran missile attack on US forces inside Iraq

The United States has treated 11 of its troops for symptoms of concussion after an Iranian missile attack on an Iraqi base where US forces were stationed, the country's military…

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Rockets hit Iraqi airbase where US troops are based

Several rockets have slammed into an Iraqi airbase north of Baghdad where US troops are based, officials and military sources said, adding that at least four Iraqi airmen were wounded. Al…

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Satellite photos reveal extent of damage from Iranian strike on air base in Iraq

Satellite photos taken Wednesday show that an Iranian missile strike has caused extensive damage at the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq, which hosts U.S. and coalition troops. The photos,…

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U.S. and Iran both appear to signal desire to avoid further conflict

President Donald Trump on Wednesday tempered days of angry rhetoric and suggested Iran was “standing down” after it fired missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq overnight, as both sides looked…

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Small rockets land near Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone

The US-led coalition to fight ISIS confirmed small rockets landed near the the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad on Wednesday afternoon without causing any damage to coalition troops or…

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No Polish troops in Iraq hurt in Iranian missile attacks

No Polish troops stationed in Iraq were hurt in Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, Poland's Defence Minister said on Wednesday. "None of the Polish soldiers in Iraq…

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Iran claims 80 ‘American terrorists’ killed in missile strikes

Iranian state television said on Wednesday that at least 80 "American terrorists" were killed in attacks involving 15 missiles Tehran launched on U.S. targets in Iraq, adding that none of…

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Philippines orders citizens in Iraq to leave

The Philippines has ordered its citizens to leave Iraq, the Philippine foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after Iran attacked U.S. forces there in response to a U.S. strike that killed…

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Pentagon statement on Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks in Iraq

Statement from Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Jonathan Hoffman: "At approximately 5:30 p.m. (EST) on January 7, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against…

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FAA issues emergency restrictions after Iranian missile attack

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was closely monitoring events in the Middle East and coordinating with U.S. airlines and foreign authorities about aviation safety after Iran launched…

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President Donald Trump says “All is well!” after Iranian missile attack

President Donald Trump said "All is well!" after more than a dozen Iranian missiles were fired at two bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq. Trump tweets that casualty and damage…

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Oil prices jump after Iraq missile attacks

Oil prices have jumped after at least two airbases hosting US troops in Iraq were hit by ballistic missiles. There was also another tragic development hours after a Ukrainian Boeing…

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Joint statement from President Macron, Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Johnson on the situation in Iraq and the surrounding region

A statement from the heads of state and government of France, Germany and the United Kingdom on the recent development in Iraq and the region. "We have condemned the…

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Trump warns Iraq of sanctions ‘like they’ve never seen before’

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Iraq and said that if U.S. troops were required to leave the country, Iraq's government would have to pay Washington for the cost…

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Iraqi parliament votes to expel US troops

The Iraqi parliament has voted to remove US troops from Iraq. In an extraordinary session, lawmakers backed a resolution to ask the government to end an agreement with Washington to station 5,200…

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NATO suspends training mission in Iraq

NATO suspended its training mission in Iraq, the alliance said Saturday after a U.S. drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. NATO has been advising the Iraqi defense…

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Mortars and Rockets fired towards American Embassy in Iraq

Two mortar rounds hit the Iraqi capital's Green Zone Saturday and two rockets slammed into a base housing US troops, security sources said, a day after a deadly American strike.…

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Did Trump ‘copy’ Clinton to delay impeachment vote?

Social media is pointing towards an incident in history which might show Donald Trump may is "taking a page from Bill Clinton's playbook" whereby through the current tense situation cause…

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UK advises its citizens to avoid travel to Iraq, Iran

The British government on Saturday advised UK nationals to avoid traveling to Iraq and Iran in face of heightened tensions in the Middle East following the US killing of…

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Thousands gather in Baghdad to mourn Soleimani

Thousands of mourners gathered in Baghdad on Saturday ahead of a funeral procession for Iran’s slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and others killed in…

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Photo story: Beefed up security at US embassy in Baghdad

Handout photos made available by the US Marine Corps shows a US Marine on watch at the US embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, 03 January 2020. Days earlier the Embassy…

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U.S. denies it conducted a new airstrike in Iraq

There are conflicting reports regarding a new air strike in Iraq that targeted an Iraqi militia late on Friday on Taji road north of Baghdad. Initial reports said that it…

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Iran in mourning as it vows revenge for killing

The killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani by a US air raid has triggered a wave of emotions and garnered a united response of solidarity and retribution across the…

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US urges citizens to leave Iraq ‘immediately’

The United States is urging US citizens to leave Iraq "immediately", citing "heightened tensions in Iraq and the region". The warning comes hours after Iran promised “harsh retaliation” against the United…

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Photo Story: First images of the US attack on Baghdad airport

Handout photos made available by Iraq's military-run Security Media Cell show the effects of the U.S. airstrike on Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, 03 January 2020. According to Iraqi authorities, several…

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Pompeo postpones Ukraine trip because of developments in Iraq

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo postponed a planned trip to Ukraine to deal with the ongoing developments out of Baghdad, the State Department announced. "Secretary Pompeo must postpone his visit…

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Iraq’s pro-Iran militia orders withdrawal from US embassy

Supporters of Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi force began dismantling their sit-in outside the US embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday, but hardliners insisted they would stay put. The Hashed, a powerful paramilitary…

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No Christmas decorations in Iraq in solidarity with protesters

Leaders of Iraq’s Christians unanimously cancelled Christmas-related celebrations in solidarity with the protest movement — but the aims of their stance go deeper than tinsel and fairy lights. Cardinal Louis…

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Al-Baghdadi’s ‘deputy’ captured in northern Iraq

A senior Daesh militant close to the former leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi has been captured in northern Iraq. Police in Huwaijah, Kirkuk province, managed to track down the extremist…

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Iraqi Prime Minister says he will quit as deadly protests in the country escalate

Iraq's prime minister has announced that he is resigning in the wake of deadly anti-government protests. Adel Abdul-Mahdi's announcement was broadcast on state television, just over a year after he…

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Iraq death toll passes 400 in weeks of mass protests

The death toll in Iraq from weeks of anti-government unrest rose on Friday to at least 408 people killed, mostly unarmed protesters, a Reuters count based on police and medical…

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Photo Story: Protests in Baghdad

Iraqi protesters throw fireworks during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad, Iraq. More than 340 people have died, and thousands have been wounded…

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Anti-government protests persist in Baghdad

An Iraqi man helps an injured fellow protester during clashes with anti-riot forces at the Al Khilani square in Baghdad, Iraq, 14 November 2019. Security forces killed at least three…

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Anti-government protests in Iraq persist

Iraqi riot police forces take up position in front of protesters who are trying to cross the al-Ahrar Bridge in central Baghdad, Iraq, 05 November 2019 (issued on 07 November…

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Security forces kill protester in Iraq, wound dozens

Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters Saturday, killing at least one and wounding more than 200 in the capital Baghdad and…

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Iraqi prime minister’s main backers agree to oust him

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s two main backers have agreed to work to remove him from office as protests against his government gained momentum in Baghdad and much of…

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Anti-government protests in Iraq leave 42 dead

Renewed anti-government protests across Iraq left more than 40 people dead on Friday. The protests represent a second phase of a week-long movement in early October that ended with more…

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Iraqi police fire live shots, tear gas at Baghdad protesters

Iraqi police fired live shots into the air and dozens of tear gas canisters on Friday to disperse thousands of protesters on the streets of Baghdad, sending young demonstrators running…

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