© Reuters / Thaier al-SudaniFILE PHOTO: Iraqi security forces at a checkpoint into the Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq
A Katyusha rocket landed within the Green Zone in the early hours of Thursday morning, setting off sirens at the US embassy, Reuters reported, citing a witness. Nobody was killed in the blast, according to Iraq's Security Media Cell, which added that the rocket is believed to have been fired from a nearby sports stadium.
A local reporter shared footage of the aftermath of the explosion, purporting to show smoke rising from the Green Zone, which houses a number of diplomatic facilities.
The attack comes as Washington and Baghdad prepare to begin a new round of strategic talks later on Thursday, which among other things will discuss the "future presence of the United States forces in that country," according to the State Department.
No group has taken responsibility for the rocket attack, and it's unclear whether the incident had any link to the upcoming talks.
Comment: The stated aim of these talks is to organize the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and so one would expect that any attempts to hinder this dialogue may also be an attempt to scupper the possibility of US withdrawal: