SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Senior Kurdish officials on Wednesday condemned an Islamic State (ISIS) attack that killed 11 people in Diyala province.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the treacherous bloody ISIS attack on our people in Diyala, which once again emphasizes the need for all to stand firmly and support our security forces against this danger,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a tweet.
ISIS militants attacked Hawasha village near the town of Miqdadiya in Diyala province on Tuesday night, killing at least 11 people including a woman and wounding several others.
Iraq’s Joint Operation Command said the attack targeted “defenseless civilians”.
Reuters cited police as saying that the gunmen used several vehicles and semi-automatic guns in their attack.
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also condemned the attack, expressing condolences to families of the victims.
“ISIS remains a threat to regional peace and coexistence and requires a collective, regional response,” he said in a tweet.
Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said the crime would not go “unpunished” and that they would continue to chase terrorists inside and outside Iraq.
“Their heinous crimes strengthen our determination to uproot them from Mesopotamia,” he tweeted.
Iraqi President Barham Salih said the attack was a “despicable attempt” to destabilize the country.
In 2017 Baghdad announced victory over Islamic State (ISIS), and attacks in Iraqi cities have since become much rarer, although troops continue to fight ISIS sleeper cells in mountainous and desert areas.
The militants still mount deadly operations, mostly at night and in remote areas.
