At least 12 detained in Baghdad over latest attack on KFC amid Israel-Hamas war

BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces cracked down on rioters in Baghdad who attacked a KFC on Monday, wounding three with live fire and detaining at least 12, security and medical sources tell 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 releases a statement calling on Iraqis to “boycott and expel” US brands.

The attack caused significant damage but no injuries to staff or customers, the sources say.

The store was opened by Americana Group, the Middle East and North Africa franchisee of fast-food restaurants KFC and Pizza Hut. Americana doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Iraqi security forces don’t immediately comment on Monday night’s attacks.

The KFC brand, previously known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is owned by US-based Yum! Brands YUM.N.

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 US forces.

Western brands in many parts of the world have been facing boycotts and other protests during the war in Gaza, reflecting public anger over the military offensive Israel launched in response to Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught.