SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have taken responsibility for a missile attack on Erbil, Iranian state media reported on Sunday.
In the early hours of Sunday, as many as 12 missiles were launched from outside Iraq toward the new U.S. Consulate-General compound in Erbil, according to the Region’s interior ministry. There were no casualties but damages to buildings near the area.
“Any repetition of attacks by Israel will be met with a harsh, decisive and destructive response,” the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement reported by state media, according to Reuters.
An Israeli air strike in Syria on Monday killed two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Iranian state media said last week. The IRGC vowed to retaliate, it said.
Iraq and neighboring Syria are regularly the scene of violence between the United States and Iran. Iran-backed Shia militias have attacked U.S. forces in both countries and Washington has on occasion retaliated with air strikes.
Earlier on Sunday, a U.S. official blamed Iran for the attack.
Separately, U.S. State Department spokesperson called it an “outrageous attack” but said no Americans were hurt and there was no damage to U.S. government facilities in Erbil.
U.S. forces stationed at Erbil’s international airport complex have in the past come under fire from rocket and drone attacks that Washington blames on Iran-aligned militia groups, but no such attacks have occurred for several months.
“It’s premature to point finger of blame at specific party but initial reports show indisputably that it was a cross-border short range missile attack,” Reuters quoted an Iraqi security official as saying.
“Parts of the fired missiles were retrieved and it was manufactured by Iran,” he added.
*This story was updated at 3:23 p.m. EBL time
