Mortar fire hits U.S. embassy in Baghdad during VP Joe Biden visit

The visit was designed partly to highlight progress in the war zone.

A U.S. official said: “There was a small explosion in the International Zone [formerly the Green Zone]. The incident is being investigated. There were no injuries or property damage.”

At least five mortar rounds fell in the Green Zone late Sunday, Iraqi police officials told The Associated Press. 

Inside the embassy, two "duck and cover" alarms sounded within an hour, and loudspeakers warned occupants of "a threat of indirect fire," a reference to a potential mortar round. An "all clear" was sounded both times.

A siren wailed and the loudspeaker said: "Duck and cover. Get away from the window. Take cover and await further instructions." A follow-up announcement said: "I say again: Please remain under cover. There is still a threat of indirect fire."

Biden is on a Fourth of July mission to assess conditions ahead of the scheduled Aug. 30 end of the U.S. "combat mission" in Iraq. In meetings Sunday, the vice president urged Iraqi leaders to break the four-month stalemate after the nation's second parliamentary elections.