INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Shafaq News/ On Friday, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack on an Australian diplomatic convoy on Qadisiyah road,
leading to the Green Zone, Baghdad.The Ministry "condemns the incident on a diplomatic vehicle belonging to the Australian Embassy in
Baghdad."The Iraqi Foreign Ministry “fully committed to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations in protecting the cadres and
building diplomatic missions and facilitating their work."Earlier today, a small homemade explosive detonated near Baghdad's Green Zone as
an Australian diplomatic convoy made its way into the area.No injuries were reported, but a vehicle belonging to the Australian embassy and
the road barriers were damaged.The blast happened amid Australia's diplomatic mission's efforts to mediate between influential Shiite cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr and an Iran-backed faction of rival Shiite parties to end one of Iraq's worst political crises in recent years
Security officials told AP.Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has been unsuccessful in bringing the quarreling groups to a
Al-Sadr's party declined to attend a meeting Al-Kadhimi held last week.Despite the explosion, the Australian convoy could enter the Green
Zone.The followers al-Sadr and his political rivals, a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite groups called the Coordination Framework, have been
at odds since last year's parliamentary elections.Al-Sadr won the largest share of seats in the October vote but failed to form a majority
government, leading to one of Iraq's worst political crises in recent years
His supporters late July stormed the parliament and have held frequent protests there.The firebrand clerics' supporters have regularly
protested, demanding the dissolution of parliament and early elections.On Tuesday, Al-Sadr's supporters pitched tents and protested outside
the Supreme Judicial Council, accusing them of being politicized in favor of their Iran-backed allies.
