United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was unharmed but ducked behind the podium after a rocket landed near Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s office on Thursday while the two men were speaking to reporters at a news conference.
An Associate Press reporter ran outside and saw a crater 1m in diameter about 50m from the building where the news conference was in progress. Two cars were damaged.
Al-Maliki’s security officials said it was a rocket attack.
Small chips of debris floated down from the ceiling above the UN chief after the big explosion rattled the building in the Green Zone. He looked frightened, casting his eyes right and left as he rose after ducking below the podium where he was standing and answering questions.
Al-Maliki said, ”Nothing’s wrong,” as one of his security men started to grab the prime minister. Within minutes the two men resumed their news conference. They ended the question-and-answer session minutes later.
The sound of the weapon being fired — which sounded like a rocket launch — could be heard not far from the Associated Press office across the Tigris River to the east of the Green Zone, which also houses the United States embassy and Iraqi government offices. — Sapa-AP