SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned an attack which authorities said was carried out by the People’s Protection Units (YPG) against Peshmerga forces near the border between Iraq and Syria.
The KRG premier said in a statement that a group of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) attempted to illegally enter the Kurdistan Region from Syria on Tuesday night.
The Kurdish forces in the area prevented them from entering the Region in accordance with laws and border protection regulations, Barzani stated.
Barzani added that a large group of YPG fighters had attacked a Peshmerga base on the Iraq-Syria border, using heavy weaponry.
“Our brave Peshmerga forces responded swiftly, repelled the YPG fighters and foiled the attack,” the KRG prime minister said.
“I condemn this reckless, unprovoked attack by the YPG in the strongest terms. This was a clear and illegal violation of the territory of Kurdistan Region and the authority of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” Barzani added.
He called on the U.S.-led Coalition forces to ensure that the YPG “does not repeat this act of aggression.”
“The YPG cannot be allowed to exploit foreign assistance to launch attacks on our territory. Any repeat would be seriously damaging to regional security,” he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Peshmerga forces Sarbast Lazgin said eight PKK fighters had attempted to infiltrate into the Kurdistan Region from Syria at 1 a.m. on Wednesday, but they were prevented by the Kurdish forces from entering the Region.
He further said a YPG unit including 50-60 fighters attacked a Peshmerga point near Sihela on the border between the Kurdistan Region and Syria at 4 a.m. on Wednesday.
Clashes between Peshmerga forces and the YPG unit lasted for an hour and a half, he said, noting that the YPG fighters used heavy weapons including machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade.
“It is unacceptable for the YPG in Syria to attack the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga forces inside the Kurdistan Region,” he noted.
