UK strongly condemns attack on Iraqi prime minister

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Sunday he strongly condemned an attack on his home in Baghdad, Johnson's office said.

Kadhimi escaped unharmed in an assassination attempt by armed drone in Baghdad, officials said on Sunday, an incident that raised tension in the country weeks after a general election disputed by Iran-backed militia groups.

"He strongly condemned the attack on the prime minister’s home in Baghdad and offered his sympathies to those injured," Johnson's office said following a call between the pair.

"He made clear that the UK stands by the Iraqi people and supports Prime Minister Khadimi’s efforts to form a government following elections, which is vital for the long term stability of Iraq."

Earlier on Sunday foreign secretary Liz Truss said Britain supported Kadhimi's call for calm and restraint.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Catherine Evans and Edmund Blair)