ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A number of leading Iraqi and Kurdish officials, including President Barham Salih and both Iraqi and Kurdish prime ministers, expressed vehement condemnation regarding Wednesday night's drone attack targeting a road in Erbil city.
A rigged drone hit Erbil-Pirmam road at 9:35pm on Wednesday night, slightly injuring three civilians as well as causing material damages to a nearby restaurant and numerous vehicles.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani spoke with his Iraqi counterpart Mustafa al-Kadhimi following the attack.
"We will work together to bring the perpetrators of tonight's attack to justice," Barzani said in a tweet, and added that Erbil and Baghdad have been cooperating together against what he calls "criminal individuals and groups."
Kadhimi's office also condemned the attack, calling it an "insistence" by certain groups to create chaos and undermine Iraq's integrity.
Iraqi President Barham Salih also voiced his condemnation of the attack, calling it "criminal" and saying it is a violation of the country's safety.
"The attack on the city of Erbil is a condemned and reprehensible criminal act targeting national efforts....We must stand firmly against attempts to plunge the country into chaos and undermine security and stability," the president tweeted, urging for a strengthening of security services against "outlaws."
Reber Ahmed, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) interior minister, told reporters at the hospital that one of the three injured civilians is in critical condition due to the explosion.
The UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) described the attack as "reckless" and said "Iraq does not need self-proclaimed armed arbiters," calling on the state to solidify its stance and hold those responsible accountable.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but such attacks are often attributed to Iran-backed militias who have launched a spate of attacks against Kurdish land in recent months.
Hossein Dalirian, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was one of the first individuals who described the attack as a drone strike, at a time when the Kurdistan Region's authorities had not specified the means of the attack.
The vicinity of the attack is synonymous with previous strikes. The IRGC on March 13 attacked the Kurdish capital with a dozen ballistic missiles, justifying the attack on the grounds of targeting a secret Mossad (Israeli intelligence) base, an accusation strongly rejected by Kurdish authorities.
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