The Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad was stormed during a demonstration.
A reporter from the AFP news agency observed smoke rising from the building.
Embassy staff are safe.
Dozens of people took part in a demonstration by influential Shia leader Moqtada Sadr in Baghdad. The Iraqi riot police were deployed in large numbers, but could not prevent the Swedish embassy from being stormed. In addition, the embassy is said to have been set on fire.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemned the incident early Thursday. The security forces had been instructed to conduct an investigation and identify the perpetrators. Sweden said embassy staff in Baghdad are safe.
Protest action in Sweden was planned
The Baghdad incident came just hours before a protest was planned in Sweden. Iraqi flags and a Koran are to be burned in front of the Iraqi embassy in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Thursday.
In June, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden burned some pages from the Koran and stepped on some pages of the scriptures. This action led to violent protests in the Islamic world.
SRF 4 News, July 20, 2023, 5:00 a.m.; agencies/msch
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