Iraq has expelled the Swedish ambassador following massive protests in Baghdad by angry Iraq protesters over the burning of the Quran in Sweden, reported Al Jazeera.
The Swedish embassy in central Baghdad was stormed by protesters who also lit a small fire in its compound. Social media videos depicted a sizable crowd of demonstrators inside the Swedish Embassy’s perimeter and black smoke and fire emanating from it.
The government announced on Thursday that the Iraqi prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, had also summoned his nation’s charge d’affaires in Sweden over raging protests and suspended the Swedish telecom corporation Ericsson’s ability to conduct business in Iraq, according to Al Jazeera.
According to Mahmoud Abdelwahed of Al Jazeera in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, protesters at the embassy early on Thursday morning waved flags and signs depicting the influential Iraqi Shia religious and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
Supporters of al-Sadr called the burning of the embassy to protest against the second planned burning of a Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm on Thursday.
The Swedish foreign ministry press office also issued a statement condemning the incident and emphasising the need for Iraqi authorities to safeguard diplomatic missions, adding that all embassy personnel were safe, reported Al Jazeera.