Tanzania, March 14 -- A missile attack has struck the United States Embassy in Baghdad, with smoke seen rising from the compound following the incident.

An Iraqi security source said on Saturday that the strike damaged part of the embassy's air defence system, although further details were not immediately provided.

Two security officials told the Associated Press that the missile hit a helipad located within the embassy grounds.

The projectile landed inside the diplomatic compound in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, an area in central Baghdad that hosts Iraqi government offices and several foreign embassies.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed the ...