In a bold attempt apparently intended to strike at the “symbol of justice,” an armed group comprised of suicide bombers stormed the Iraqi Ministry of Justice building in central Baghdad on Thursday, March 14, killing 24 and wounding 57 others.

This attack came amid a severe political crisis in Iraq, against the backdrop of continued protests in Sunni areas criticizing the policies of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The crisis reached its peak on March 12, when Kurdish ministers refused to attend a regular session of the Iraqi government in protest against the adoption of the 2013 financial budget without obtaining the approval of the Kurdistan Alliance.

Around 11 a.m. Thursday morning, insurgents detonated two car bombs at the entry gates for ministry staff and senior officials. They then stormed the building, which is located only a few hundred meters from the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. This area houses the government headquarters, as well as the US and British embassies in Iraq.

A member of the ministry’s press office said that gunmen killed all of the building’s guards. They then took over the first and second floors after one of the attackers blew himself up during the attack.