During the night of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, a father named Muhammad Qaddouri (Al-Haddad) and his eight-year-old son, Siraj Muhammad Qaddouri, were killed, and a number of civilians were injured, when a drone and/or projectile crashed into a residential building on the Al-Munathama Street in the al-Amiriya area of the Karkh district of Baghdad, Iraq.
As reported by Kurdistan24.net, the Ministry of Interior of Iraq announced late in the evening of Tuesday: “A series of separate security incidents occurred in the capital, Baghdad, at 11:00 p.m, as a result of rocket fire and airstrikes targeting both the Karkh and Rusafa districts, resulting in human and material losses.” In particular, in the Amiriya/al-Munathama Street area, a projectile struck a residential building, killing two civilians, according to the Ministry.
On Facebook, Al-Amiriya Al-Hadath wrote: “Breaking – Initial report: one martyr (a child) and two young men injured so far, according to what we have received, as a result of a rocket falling on a house in the Ameriya area.” The account also reported that a man named Muhammad had been injured, writing, “We ask you to pray for Muhammad Ibn Al-Amiriya, his condition is very critical as a result of a severe injury he sustained when the missile fell in Al-Amiriya yesterday.” Later the same day, the account wrote that “We are pleased to announce, thanks to God and your prayers, that our brother Muhammad has been discharged from the operating room after a successful operation following his injury yesterday.” An image of a middle-aged man on a hospital bed was included in both posts, and appears to be the same man.
Facebook account ‘Al-Amiriya Now 2’ named the civilians killed as Muhammad Qaddouri (Al-Haddad) and his son, Siraj Muhammad Qaddouri. The post was accompanied by a black and white image of a child, showing a victory sign, and an image of his father, a middle-aged bearded man in a black T-shirt with a large print. The account also wrote: “The funeral prayer will be held shortly at Al-Mustafa Mosque in the 7th of April area of Al-Amiriya. We extend our deepest condolences to their family and loved ones.”
According to Facebook account ‘Baghdad Wisdom,’ Siraj was eight years old. The account “Events and oddities in Iraq” posted images from the funeral of the father and the son.
Iraqi journalist Mustafa Sakar posted a video on Facebook where he reported from the scene of the incident the next morning, sharing heart-breaking details. According to him, the search for Siraj’s head was ongoing: “The scene right now is terrifying and harrowing. People are searching for the remains of Siraj’s head—fragments of bone and brain tissue. Siraj was an eight-year-old child. A man at the scene has just discovered a piece of bone; when asked what he found, he replies that he has recovered a fragment of bone and a piece of brain tissue.”
Journalist Jaarub Qahtan also reported from the place of the incident: “It was at this very spot that the child Siraj and his father were killed—martyred—just hours before the ceasefire was announced. The blood of young Siraj still stains the site of the incident, and the search continues for his remaining remains.” The journalist also spoke to a local resident who recounted: “The missile struck this house, and children fled from the scene; one of them had sustained a head injury. The entire neighborhood poured into the streets, and there were many injured people.” Another resident added: “When we heard the shelling, we ran out. We saw blood here, and we saw a woman screaming, clutching her child in her arms. We took the child and put him in a car; a man was also lying on the ground, so we placed him in the car as well. There was yet another injured person lying on the ground.” The resident added that remarkably, almost no one inside the homes was injured. According to him, the victims were those standing right in front of the building’s entrance—the missile landed directly on top of them.
It is seen in the video that the facade of the residential building sustained some damage, and the asphalt in front of it was covered with debris.
Facebook account ‘Iraq News Now’ posted graphic images of Muhammad Qaddouri’s dead body lying on the ground and of Siraj’s body on a hospital bed. A video shared by ‘Hmasat Bagdadiah’ on Facebook showed an emotional scene where a boy, probably Muhammad’s second son, is embracing his dead body and screaming: “Father, father!”
Siraj was a student of Ban Abbas elementary school. Facebook account @Arbi964 reported the next day that the school held a memorial service for him. The Director of Educational Supervision for the First Karkh Education Directorate, Aws Al-Hamdani, said, “Siraj’s journey is empty today, but he will remain immortal in our hearts.” He urged his classmates to study hard and achieve the highest grades because “their success will bring joy to Siraj in his grave.”
According to @Arbi964, security sources reported on Tuesday that a number of missiles were launched towards Baghdad International Airport from the Hor Rajab area, southwest of Baghdad, and one of them landed on a house in the al-Amiriya area.
According to a Facebook reel by ‘Alsaa,’ citing statements from the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, the incident was caused by Katyusha/Grad rockets launched by local armed factions from southern Baghdad toward the Baghdad International Airport military base. The rockets went off-course and hit residential neighborhoods.
Most of the sources did not attribute the strike to any belligerent. ‘Alsaa’ blamed local armed factions for the attack, while ‘Nineveh’ attributed the attack to the U.S. and Israeli military, saying, “A [Israeli]-American bombing targeted a house in the Al-Amiriya area of Baghdad.” As such, Airwars has determined a ‘contested’ strike status for this incident.