United Nations, Nov 8 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the foiled assassination attempt against Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Through a statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief called for the perpetrators of this crime to be held accountable, and urged Iraqis to exercise utmost restraint and reject violence and attempts to destabilise Iraq, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Secretary-General "urges all political actors to uphold the constitutional order and resolve differences through peaceful and inclusive dialogue", the statement added.

Al-Kadhimi escaped the attempt on his life after an explosive-laden drone struck his residence in Baghdad's heavily-fortified Green Zone early Sunday morning.

According to reports, the exploding drone caused damage to the residence and several of the Prime Minister's security guards were injured in the attack.

In his latest statement, Kadhimi said that he has identified the perpetrators and "ee will pursue those who committed the crime. We know them well, and we will reveal their identities".

These perpetrators are the same who killed Nibras Farman, an Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) officer, and they will be brought to justice, the Prime Minister said late Sunday without giving further details.

The assassination attempt came amid protests by followers of political parties rejecting October's election results.

On November 5, the protests escalated into a clash with the security forces at the entrances of the Green Zone, which led to the killing of two protesters and the wounding of dozens of security members and protesters.

In the Parliamentary elections on October 10, the Sadrist Movement, led by prominent Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, took the lead with more than 70 seats, while the al-Fatah (Conquest) Coalition garnered 17 seats compared with 47 in the 2018 polls.