President Barzani calls for accountability of Erbil attack perpetrators

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Monday called on the Iraqi government to hold perpetrators of a recent rocket attack in Erbil accountable, saying “condemnation alone is not enough.”

Stressing the “serious threat” of the recent assaults, Barzani urged the Iraqi government to end the “hostilities” threatening the Region’s stability and security.

“Condemning these attacks alone is not enough. Their reoccurrence is a serious threat that endangers the stability and security” of the area, read a statement published by the President’s office.

At least six rockets targeted the key Kawergosk oil refinery in Erbil’s Khabat district, causing a fire in one of its main tanks which was later brought under control on Sunday evening.

“The Iraqi government is responsible for taking fast and serious actions to stop these hostilities” while cooperating with the Kurdish authorities to prevent such aggressions from being repeated, Barzani added. 

The rockets originated from Nineveh province and were fired from the proximity of the al-Hamdaniya district where Iran-linked militias are rooted.

No group has claimed the attack.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani added his condemnation of the rocket attack on Khabat district, calling on the Iraqi PM to "take necessary and practical steps to punish the outlawed, saboteur groups and form a joint committee to take necessary procedures to control areas that have become a threat to the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq," in a statement published on Monday afternoon.

Diplomatic representations in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region also spoke against the recent offense. 

The US embassy in Baghdad on Monday said attacks in Iraq are "an assault on the sovereignty of Iraq and hurt Iraqi citizens."

The British Ambassador to Iraq, Mark Bryson-Richardson, urged all parties to work for Iraq’s security, saying such “violence is unacceptable.”

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) described the strike as an "alarming development" while urging leaders to work "as one" to counter such attacks.

The refinery, operated by the major domestic energy company KAR Group, was targeted by Katyusha rockets earlier in April. The rocket fire came less than a month after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed firing a dozen ballistic missiles on Erbil under the pretext of targeting an Israeli base.

At least four of the missiles landed on a property belonging to the CEO and founder of the company, Baz Karim Barzinji.

Kurdish authorities have rejected the presence of Israeli bases in the Kurdish capital.

Updated at 5:15 pm with Masrour Barzani's statement