Protesters burn tyres near US embassy in Baghdad

Iran-backed militiamen and other protesters gathered outside the American Embassy began to disperse on Wednesday after US troops fired tear gas.

Protesters threw stones at the building and set fire to the roof of a reception area inside the embassy compound and burned tyres.

Dozens of Iran-allied militiamen and their supporters had camped out at the gates of the embassy overnight, a day after they broke into the compound, trashing a reception area and smashing windows before pulling back.

It was one of the worst attacks on a US diplomatic mission in years.

The US Marines guarding the embassy fired tear gas Wednesday as more crowds arrived and after the protesters lit a fire on the roof of the reception area. Smoke rose from the building. There have been no reports of any injuries since the protests began.

Members of the Iraqi Federal Police and other security forces were seen at the scene.

The militiamen were protesting deadly U.S. airstrikes that targeted an Iran-backed militia over the weekend, killing 25 fighters. Those strikes were in response to a rocket attack on an Iraqi army base that killed a U.S. contractor.