US Embassy in Iraq Hit by Multiple Rocket Attack

The US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq is being reported to have been hit in a 'rare' direct hit in the fortified green zone.

Three rockets hit the embassy wounding at least one person. The attack on Sunday evening follows a dangerous escalation of a series of rocket attacks in recent months that have targetted the embassy.

A senior Iraqi official told AFP that at least one person has been wounded, however, it was not immediately clear how serious the injuries were or to the nationality of the individual.

Caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi swiftly condemned the attack in a statement, calling it an "aggression" that could "drag Iraq into becoming a war zone".

In a statement, the United States urged Iraq to protect the embassy.

"We call on the Government of Iraq to fulfil its obligations to protect our diplomatic facilities," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

One protester was also killed in Baghdad and another in the southern city of Nasiriyah as security forces tried to clear sit-in protest camps, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Scores of protesters were wounded.

More than 500 demonstrators have been killed since the protest movement began in October, with rights groups accusing security forces of using excessive force.

Protesters are demanding the removal of what they consider a corrupt ruling elite and an end to foreign interference in Iraqi politics.