Watch: US diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport in flames after attack

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A fire broke out at a US diplomatic facility near Baghdad airport in Iraq, according to security sources quoted by Reuters. A pro-Iranian militant group, Ashab al-Kahf, later claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. Visuals shared online showed a large and intense blaze, with thick black smoke rising into the night sky.Earlier, the Middle East Broadcasting Network reported that air defence systems were activated over the US embassy to intercept incoming threats.

On Wednesday, Kataib Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States announced a temporary suspension of its attacks on the US embassy for five days on the condition of “a US commitment not to strike residential areas in Baghdad and other provinces,” as quoted by the report.

Kataib Hezbollah and the Harakat al-Nujaba movement are among the main Iran-aligned groups targeting US interests. Both groups have taken part in the ongoing conflict alongside Iran and have carried out multiple strikes in Iraq and other areas.Iraq has been drawn into the wider regional conflict following the US-Israel attack on Iran on February 28. Since then, strikes have targeted Iran-backed groups, which have responded with frequent attacks on US-linked sites in Iraq and across the region.On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed for the first time that combat helicopters were used to carry out strikes against pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq during the ongoing conflict.