Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said plans are under way to beef up the presence of government security forces in the city, reported KUNA, the Kuwait news agency.

Meanwhile, security sources said Basra's al-Merbed Hotel was targeted by an overnight rocket attack, during which three missiles landed near the building, KUNA reported. The attack coincided with an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Interior Minister Jawad al-Boulani in Basra.