ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), on Saturday condemned Iran's ballistic missile strikes on the Kurdistan Region, calling them a "grave and unacceptable violation" of the Region's security and sovereignty and warning that the safety of the Kurdish people "is a boundary that cannot be crossed."
"Last night, our nation faced a grave and unacceptable violation of our security and sovereignty. A ballistic missile strike, launched from Iran, targeted our homeland and our heroic security forces," Talabani said in a statement.
Condemning the attack "in the strongest possible terms," Talabani said: "the targeting of our nation is entirely unacceptable, and the safety of our people is a boundary that cannot be crossed."
The statement comes a day after Iran launched strikes on several locations in the Kurdistan Region's Erbil and Sulaimani provinces. Nine members of the Iranian Kurdish opposition group Komala were killed in the attacks.
The latest attacks come amid renewed military escalation between Tehran and Washington. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said early Saturday it concluded a seventh consecutive night of strikes against Iran late Friday, while Iran's army said it had targeted US military sites in Kuwait and Jordan as part of the 14th phase of Operation Sa'eqa in retaliation for US attacks.
Talabani described the "deliberate" strikes as "a severe breach" of international norms and an unwarranted escalation. "We stand with our brothers in Erbil at this grave time; an attack on one is an attack on all," he said.
While stressing that the Kurdistan Region does not seek a broader conflict, Talabani said its restraint "should not be mistaken for a lack of resolve or ability," adding that authorities were coordinating with allies and partners to ensure "a measured, decisive, and robust diplomatic and defensive response" to safeguard the people.
The Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD) said Friday 13 drones were intercepted by the US-led global coalition over Erbil without causing casualties.
In Sulaimani province, the strikes targeted the Tasluja area. Earlier on Friday, the Komala Toilers of Kurdistan said at least nine of its members were killed and several others wounded after six missiles struck one of its bases. Politburo member Abdullah Azarbar blamed Tehran, saying, "We were bombarded by Iran with six powerful and large missiles."
The Kurdistan Region Presidency and the Kurdistan Regional Government separately condemned the attacks, describing them as a dangerous escalation and a violation of the Region's sovereignty, while calling on Iran to halt the strikes and urging Baghdad and the international community to help stop the violations.
