Middle East Eye:

📰 Iraqi authorities arrested several individuals in the aftermath of a number of attacks on American restaurant chains, including a riot that took place at a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Baghdad, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.

The arrests included individuals from Iraqi security force personnel, the ministry said, as a growing number of people inside Iraq are calling for the boycott of US brands over Washington's support for Israel's war on Gaza.

The attacks intended to "harm American interests", the ministry said, adding that several suspects had been arrested over last week's attacks.

On Monday, a KFC location in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, was vandalised, and several of the chain restaurant's locations were also attacked last week.

Monday's attack came after Kataeb Hezbollah, an armed group in Iraq which is a part of the umbrella group Hashd al-Shaabi, called on supporters to "boycott and expel" US brands, which they denounced as "spy" entities affiliated with the "occupation".

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