Articles

Accidental shooting from US Embassy injured Iraqi woman: State Department

Dilan Sirwan

Jul. 30, 2024 • 2 min read
Image of Accidental shooting from US Embassy injured Iraqi woman: State Department

The injury of former MP Abdul Amir al-Ghazali’s wife on Friday came from an accidental shooting from within the vicinity of the US Embassy, State Department confirmed to The New Region.

An accidental shooting from the US Embassy compound on Friday led to the unfortunate incident that injured a woman in the proximity of the Embassy in Baghdad, the US State Department confirmed to The New Region on Tuesday.

 

The woman injured was the wife of former Iraqi MP Abdul Amir al-Ghazali.

 

Speaking to The New Region on Monday, Ghazali said that the incident happened as they were in their house’s balcony and preparing to perform evening prayers.

 

“We were sitting in the balcony of the house, in the Al-Qadisiya complex overlooking the US embassy, it was the time of evening prayer,” he said. “I followed my wife for prayer and I heard what sounded like an explosion.”

 

“As soon as I turned I saw my wife on the ground saying she would die. My two sons and I rushed to her ambulance, then I saw the blood and the firing place of entry from the window overlooking the embassy,” he added.

 

As of Monday, the health of victim was in a critical condition and Iraqi security forces had started investigating the incident.

 

The New Region reached out to the US State Department for comment and they confirmed the reports.

 

“Our investigation revealed there was an unintended discharge of a weapon by an individual on the embassy compound,” read an email response attributed to the US State Department spokesperson on Tuesday. “This was an unfortunate accident.  We are taking the matter extremely seriously and continuing to investigate.”

 

“We are deeply concerned by the report of an injured Iraqi citizen and wish her a quick recovery,” the State Department added, stressing that coordination with the Iraqi authorities continues regarding the incident.

 

Ghazali is taking the incident to court, where he believes that he will receive justice.

 

“I do not want to politicize the matter, there is law and a judiciary, and we have government agencies discussing the issue,” he said, denying reports that he has requested compensation.

Profile picture of Dilan Sirwan
Author Dilan Sirwan

Dilan Sirwan is an Erbil-based Kurdish journalist covering Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. He focuses on political, economic, and social issues.

NEWSLETTER

Get the latest updates delivered to your inbox.