By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the attack on the convoy of Polish Ambassador Edward Pietrzyk in the Karada district, central Baghdad.
In a statement Thursday, the ministry said Wednesday’s assassination attempt was a “heinous crime executed by a group of terrorists that sought to harm the strong Iraqi-Polish relations.”
The convoy of the Polish envoy had been targeted by an explosion Wednesday, and Pietrzyk was wounded in the attack. Three civilians were killed and six others were wounded.
“While the Foreign Ministry strongly condemns this cowardly act, it stressed the deep ties that bind the governments and peoples of the two friendly countries,” it said, noting the assistance by the Polish government for the reconstruction of Iraq.
The ambassador, whose wounds were said to be light, was rushed to the American Military Hospital in the fortified Green Zone for treatment.
Pietrzyk became his country’s ambassador to Iraq in April 2007, and was previously commander of the Polish ground forces.
Last year, four Russian diplomats were kidnapped and killed. In 2005, an extremist group affiliated with Al-Qaeda killed Egyptian chief of mission Ehab El-Sharif and unknown militants opened fire on the Bahraini envoy.