BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi security forces cracked down on rioters in Baghdad who were attacking a KFC on Monday, wounding three with live fire and detaining at least 12, security and medical sources told Reuters.
The attack on a KFC on the city’s Palestine Street is at least the third in just over a week and was reported just as a senior official in the Iran-backed Iraqi armed group Kataib Hezbollah released a statement calling on Iraqis to “boycott and expel” U.S. brands.
The attack caused significant damage but no injuries to staff or customers, the sources said.
The store was opened by Americana Group, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut. Americana did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Iraqi security forces did not immediately comment on Monday night’s attacks.
The KFC brand, previously known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is owned by U.S.-based Yum! Brands.
Iraq has been trying to encourage foreign businesses to set up shop in the country amid a period of relative stability that has at times been shaken by security incidents, including months of tit-for-tat attacks between Iran-backed armed groups and U.S. forces.
Western brands in many parts of the world have been facing boycotts and other protests during the Israel-Hamas war, reflecting public anger over Israel’s military operation that has killed more than 36,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there, and caused a humanitarian crisis.
The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting some 250 others, of whom some 120 remain in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
(Reporting by Timour Azhari; Editing by Rod Nickel)
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