Grenade explosion rocks Iraqi parliament speaker’s headquarters, wounds two

An explosion from a hand grenade hit the headquarters of Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi’s Taqaddum party in Baghdad early on Friday wounding two guards, police sources said.

The blast caused damage to the building’s doors and windows, police said.

No group claimed responsibility and there was no comment from al-Halbousi or the Iraqi government immediately for the incident.

A similar incident hours later targeted the Baghdad headquarters of the Azm party of another Sunni Muslim politician, Khamis al-Khanjar, police said, but caused only light damage.

There was no claim of responsibility for the second incident.

صور لمقر حزب تقدم في الاعظمية
الذي تعرض الى انفجا،،،.ر
ارها …،بي قبل قليل

–لو العب لو اخرب الملعب–. pic.twitter.com/F0uwH7mQbG

— #العراق_سيد_نفسه (@aboali2000ali) January 14, 2022

Iraq’s parliament, newly elected after an October 10 general election in which the powerful Shia Islam cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was the biggest winner, voted to reinstate al-Halbousi for his second term as speaker on Sunday.

Iran-backed Shia parties and which rival Sadr, opposed the selection of al-Halbousi.