SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Bafel Jalal Talabani said on Sunday it’s the duty of all sides to protect the Kurdistan Region’s land and people, following a missile attack on Erbil.
“Unfortunately, the tranquility and security of the Kurdistan Region has been targeted again, and the beloved Erbil city has faced a terrorism attack,” Talabani said in a statement.
“I strongly condemn these attacks and wish safety for the beloved people of Erbil,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday, twelve ballistic missiles launched by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards struck Erbil city. Authorities in the Region said the attack hit civilian places in the city, wounding a person slightly.
“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.
“The reoccurrence of these attacks is worrying and it is a clear sign of the deterioration of the Kurdistan Region’s stability,” Talabani said.
“It’s the duty of all sides to protect our land and people and to confront the challenges together,” he added.
“We consider it our duty to protect Erbil’s security and the safety of people’s lives. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan is ready to support and help find criminals and perpetrators of the terrorist attack.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers called on the international community including the Iranian government to investigate the missile attack and visit the location targeted by the missiles.
“The cowardly attack on Erbil … allegedly under the pretext of hitting an Israeli base near the US Consulate in Erbil, targeted civilian locations and its justification is only to hide the disgracefulness of such offense,” presidency of the KRG Council of Ministers said in a statement.
“We reiterate that the propaganda of the perpetrators of this attack is far from true.
“Iran has repeated these attacks many times, and the silence of the international community in the face of these cowardly attacks will pave the way for their continuation,” it added.
“We call on the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, the Arab League, the federal government, the Iraqi parliament, and the Iranian government to urgently investigate these baseless attacks, visit targeted locations, reveal the facts to the public, and take a true and strong stance on these attacks.”
Earlier, a U.S. State Department spokesperson called the attack 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.
