Protesters angered by the deliberate burning of a duplicate of the Koran in Stockholm have stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and lit a hearth.
Movies shared on social media confirmed demonstrators climbing over a fence into the compound, waving flags and indicators displaying the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and politician, Muqtada al Sadr.
Pictures additionally confirmed a constructing recognized because the embassy in flames and protesters holding copies of the Koran within the air.
Footage later confirmed smoke rising from a constructing within the advanced and protesters standing on its roof.
Protesters collect close to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad hours after the embassy was stormed and set on hearth
The Swedish overseas ministry mentioned in an announcement all employees had been secure.
“We condemn all assaults on diplomats and employees from worldwide organisations,” it mentioned.
“Assaults on embassies and diplomats represent a severe violation of the Vienna Conference.
“Iraqi authorities have the duty to guard diplomatic missions and diplomatic employees.”
Iraq’s overseas ministry additionally issued an announcement condemning the assault.
“The Iraqi authorities has instructed the competent safety authorities to conduct an pressing investigation and take the required safety measures with the intention to uncover the circumstances of the incident and determine the perpetrators of this act and maintain them accountable in line with the regulation,” it mentioned.
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The protest came about after police in Sweden reportedly granted an utility for an illustration to be held on Thursday outdoors the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm – throughout which two demonstrators deliberate to burn a duplicate of the Koran and the Iraq flag.
For Muslims, the burning of the Koran represents a blasphemous desecration of their faith’s holy textual content.
In late June, Muqtada al Sadr referred to as for protests in opposition to Sweden and the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador after a duplicate of the Koran was burned in Stockholm by an Iraqi man.
Two main protests came about outdoors the Swedish embassy in Baghdad within the aftermath of that Koran burning, with protesters breaching the embassy grounds on one event.