SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The U.S.-led Coalition forces said on Tuesday that nearly 14 rockets launched toward Erbil city on Monday night, killing a civilian contractor and wounding nine others.
Coalition Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto said three of the rockets impacted within Erbil air base at 09:30 p.m. on Monday.
“CJTF-OIR confirms approx. 14 107 mm rockets launched with 3 impacting within EAB, Feb 15 at 2130 hours (Iraqi time),” Marotto said in a tweet.
“One civilian contractor was killed (Not US), and 9 injured (8 CIV contractors/ 1 US MIL) – 4 US/ 1 US MIL concussion protocol,” he added.
Marotto said the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) was leading investigation into the attack.
The Region’s ministry of health said on Monday night that at least three people had been wounded in the attack, one of them is a security guard of one of the consulates in Waziran neighborhood in Erbil.
Kurdistan Region’s Counter-terrorism service said two rockets landed inside Erbil international airport.
Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin cited a U.S. official as saying three of the rockets landed in U.S. compound near the Erbil airport.
A group calling itself “Avengers of Blood”, or Saraya Awliya al-Dam, claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on Erbil in a statement on social media, saying it targeted “American occupation” and that it was “the beginning of the game”.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States was “outraged” by the attack.
“I have reached out to Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to discuss the incident and to pledge our support for all efforts to investigate and hold accountable those responsible,” he added.
The KRG premier said in a tweet that they had agreed coordinate closely in the investigation to identify the outlaws behind the attack.
*This story was updated at 11:13 a.m. EBL time
