SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The UN Assistance Mission of Iraq (UNAMI) and Iraqi leaders condemned the Arbat airport drone strike, swift and thorough investigations.
Three members of the Sulaimani-based Counter-Terrorism Unit known as (CTG) were killed and three others were wounded on Monday following a drone strike on the small airport of Arbat in Sulaimani.
“UNAMI condemns attack on Arbat airport in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, which caused a number of casualties. Attacks repeatedly violating Iraqi sovereignty must stop. Security concerns must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy – not strikes,” UNAMI on Tuesday said.
“The Arabt airport drone strike is a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty,” said Qais Khaz Ali, the Secretary-General of As’aib Ahl al-Haq.
“Defending Iraq’s sovereignty is a fixed principle that should not be subjected to compromises,” he said in a statement on Monday night.
“I call on the Iraqi government and the political parties to be united to stop the repeated violations,” he added.
In the meantime, Ammar al-Hakim, the head of the Hikma movement, extended his “deepest” condolences to the families of victims who lost their lives in the drone attack, according to a statement.
“We express our protest against targeting the Arbat airport in Sulaimani,” Hakim said. “We urge swift and thorough investigations to identify the perpetrator and safeguard Iraq’s security and sovereignty,” he added.
Arbat is a small airport used for helicopters and agricuatural planes located 50km (30 miles) to the east of the city of Sulaimani in the northeast of Iraq.
Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool said in a statement on Tuesday that the drone which targted Arabt airport, entered Iraqi airspace through Turkey’s border.
