MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday asked all Filipinos traveling to Iraq to cancel their trip amid the recent rocket assaults targeting the Baghdad International Airport and the country’s heavily-fortified Green Zone.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advises travelers to Iraq, particularly personnel of international organizations (IOs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) with humanitarian projects or speaking engagements in Iraq, to postpone their scheduled travel,” it said in an advisory.
In the event that planned trips can no longer be postponed, the DFA reminded them to check if there are active curfews currently imposed in their destination province in Iraq.
It also advised travelers to avoid booking flights with early morning hour or late night hour arrivals in Baghdad, Basra, and other airports in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Rocket attacks have frequently targeted Iraqi military bases housing American troops and the Green Zone, which is home to many foreign missions, including the US embassy. Recently, a wayward rocket targeting US troops stationed at Baghdad airport killed seven civilians, including five children and two women.
The US government earlier threatened to withdraw its diplomats and shut its embassy in Baghdad amid the attacks.