BAGHDAD – A large number of protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad in the early hours of Thursday and started a fire to torch the consulate in the wake of burning of Holy Quran in Stockholm.
As Muslims across the globe staged peaceful protests in the wake of the Islamophobic act, protesters of Iraqi political party opted for violence, as they ransacked the whole premises before setting it on fire.
The building was torched but, Baghdad embassy staff members remained safe, officials confirmed. Earlier, hundreds of protesters under a local cleric flocked to the embassy to protest the planned Quran desecration in the European nation.
Clips being shared online show charged members of the right wing holding flags of Iraqi political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, causing damage to the premises to vent out their anger.
#BREAKING #Sweden #Iraq Chaos erupts in Iraq! Swedish embassy in Baghdad torched. pic.twitter.com/wTad0TpTw6
— National Independent (@NationalIndNews) July 19, 2023
Meanwhile, Iraqi government has denounced the attack on the Swedish embassy and directed the security officials to start high-level probe and take the necessary security measures.
Baghdad also vowed to identify the attackers and hold them accountable as per the law.
Muslims, in parts of the world, condemned the incident but staged peaceful protests in light of Islamic teachings.
As governments of various nations including Pakistan issued protests about the heinous incident, Iraq sought extradition to face trial in the country, as the culprit was former Iraqi national.
