Sharjah24 - AFP: Rocket fire targeting Baghdad's Green Zone wounded 10 people Thursday, as Iraqi lawmakers gathered for their fourth attempt to elect a president and break political gridlock that has sparked protests and deadly violence.
The latest unrest follows warnings this week by the United Nations mission, which said that "the protracted crisis is breeding further instability" in the war-scarred country, and that the divisive politics are "generating bitter public disillusion".
Over a year since its last general elections, Iraq is yet to form a new government to tackle the problems facing the oil-rich country plagued by unemployment, decaying infrastructure and corruption.
On Thursday morning, lawmakers began to convene in parliament in Baghdad's Green Zone, the capital's fortified government and diplomatic district that was recently the site of large protest camps set up by rival factions.
Nine Katyusha-style rockets targeted the Green Zone, the security forces said in a statement, with an AFP correspondent in the parliament hearing several loud explosions. The attacks were not immediately claimed.
At least 10 people were wounded, including six members of the security forces or bodyguards of the lawmakers, as well as four civilians in a district bordering the Green Zone, a security official told AFP.
Initially scheduled for 11:00 am (0800 GMT), the start of the parliamentary session was postponed by about two hours, amid the attacks and with factions lobbying until the last minute.
Democratic institutions built in Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein remain fragile, and neighbouring Iran wields major influence.
For the past year, Iraq has not only been without a new government, but also without a state budget, locking up billions in oil revenues and obstructing much-needed reforms and infrastructure projects.
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