Sweden shuts down embassy in Baghdad
Sweden’s embassy in Iraq declared on Thursday that it will suspend all its activities in Baghdad until further notice following an attack by Iraqi people on the diplomatic mission.
Earlier, Sweden’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström reacted to the attack on his country’s embassy in Baghdad, saying that it is obvious the Iraqi officials are unable of fulfilling their responsibility to protect diplomatic missions.
Moreover, one of the officials of the Iraqi prime minister’s bureau told Al Jazeera TV network if the desecration of holy Quran is repeated, Iraq will cut off ties with Sweden.
Hundreds of protesters stormed Sweden’s embassy in central Baghdad early Thursday morning in protest of the possible burning of the holy Quran in the European country. The angry protesters climbed the walls of the embassy and set it on fire.
Iraqi security forces were stationed inside the embassy this morning, when smoke was rising from the embassy.
Following the raid, most of the protesters were forced to withdraw from the embassy by security forces, but tens of the Iraqis remained around the building until early Thursday.