SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday that the rockets fired toward the Kurdistan Region’s capital were launched on a road between Gwer and Erbil.
In a statement, the ministry said a number of rockets fell inside Erbil international airport and several neighborhoods of the city at 09:30 p.m. (EBL time) on Monday.
The attack killed one person and wounded five others at the Erbil airport, the ministry added. Three other people were wounded inside Erbil city, in addition to damages to several homes and business places.
Earlier on Tuesday, U.S.-led Coalition Spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto said one civil contractor was killed and nine others including a U.S. service member were wounded in the attack.
The Region’s interior ministry said the security forces found a vehicle on the main road between Erbil and Gwer, from which the rockets fired toward Erbil.
“The same technic and methods of the previous attack on the Erbil airport were used in last night’s attack,” the ministry added.
The Coalition spokesman said three of the 107 mm rockets impacted within Erbil air base, where Coalition troops are stationed.
“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.
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”.
On Sept. 30, six Katyusha rockets fell near Erbil airport, an attack which the Kurdistan’s counterterrorism service blamed on Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia groups.
Separately, the ministry of Peshmerga said in a statement that any attack on the Coalition forces is an attack on the Peshmerga and people of the Kurdistan Region.
