BAGHDAD, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. embassy in Iraq on Tuesday issued an alert for its citizens over potential attacks in major Iraqi cities after an overnight attack near the embassy compound in Baghdad.
"The U.S. embassy in Baghdad warned all U.S. citizens of heightened tensions in the region and the need to remain vigilant," the embassy said in a statement, referring to the spiraling tensions between Washington and Tehran in the Gulf.
Before midnight Monday, two mortar rounds landed in the perimeter of the U.S. embassy in central Baghdad.
A police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that the attack rocked the heavily fortified Green Zone and sirens were heard in the area, but no casualties were reported as the mortars landed on empty areas.
Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq said in a statement that it will not tolerate any attacks on its personnel and facilities.
"We have made clear that attacks on coalition personnel and facilities will not be tolerated and the coalition forces retain the right to defend ourselves," the statement said.
Iraqi militias frequently targeted the Green Zone which houses the U.S. embassy and some of the Iraqi government offices.
