SULAIMANI (ESTA) — At least one rocket fell near the house of newly-elected parliament’s speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi in Anbar province on Tuesday, Iraqi media reported.
At least three rockets were fired from Dira Dijla area in Anbar governorate on Tuesday night targeting Karma district in east of Anbar, Shafaq News cited a security source as saying.
“A rocket fell near Halbousi’s headquarters,” the source told Shafaq.
The other rockets fell in the Karma market, near Karma mosque and in an agricultural area, the source added.
The attacks wounded four people including a child, Shafaq reported.
Following the attack, Iraqi forces tightened security procedures in Baghdad in fear of similar attacks, Shafaq cited the source as saying.
The attack came hours after Iraq’s federal court confirmed the re-election of Halbousi as parliament speaker, following appeals against the first session of the parliament.
“The Federal Supreme Court rejected the appeal of two MPs who demanded the annulment of the inaugural session of parliament on January 9,” in which Halbousi was re-elected, said presiding judge Jassim Mohammed Aboud.
The ruling will allow the resumption of parliament sessions, and along with them deliberations over the selection of a new president, who will in turn choose the next prime minister, to be approved by the legislature.
On January 9, the Iraqi Council of Representatives held its first session to elect a speaker and its deputies.
Mashhadani who was the oldest lawmaker was chosen to chair the session. He was suddenly taken ill and transported to hospital by ambulance after disputes erupted between lawmakers of the Sadrist Movement and other Shia parties, together called the Coordination Framework.
Khalid al-Daraji resumed the first session after he assumed the interim speaker.
Lawmakers re-elected Sunni leader Mohammed al-Halbousi as the speaker and Hakim Zamli and Shakhawan Abdulla as deputies.
Parliament has 30 days from the first session to elect the country’s new president, who will then ask the largest bloc in parliament to form a government.
