July 20 (UPI) — The embassy of Sweden in Baghdad faced an attack by protesters early on Thursday, drawing condemnation from Iraq’s foreign ministry, which has instructed security forces to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
Videos, whose authenticity is yet to be verified, have been circulating online, showing a large group of protesters outside the embassy. Flames and smoke were visible through windows, indicating the situation inside the building.
Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs Press Office has reported to UPI via email that they have received information about the incident and assure that all embassy staff in Baghdad are safe.
“The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is in regular communication with them,” the office stated.
The office further expressed condemnation for attacks on diplomats and staff from international organizations, emphasizing that such assaults on embassies and diplomats are grave violations of the Vienna Convention.
“It is the responsibility of Iraqi authorities to protect diplomatic missions and their staff,” the statement added.
The foreign affairs ministry of Iraq, in a statement posted on Twitter, has ordered an urgent investigation into the incident and called for necessary security measures to uncover the circumstances and identify the perpetrators, holding them accountable according to the law.
The ministry noted that this attack is part of a series of assaults on diplomatic missions, as it marks the second time in less than a month that the Swedish embassy has come under siege by protesters.
In a separate incident last month, dozens of protesters stormed the compound of the Swedish embassy in response to an individual burning the Quran, Islam’s holy text, outside a mosque in Stockholm.
