At least one injured as rockets hit Kurdistan Region town of Kifri

18-04-2021
Shahla Omar
Shahla Omar
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Two Katyusha rockets hit the town of Kifri in the Kurdistan Region's Garmiyan administration on Sunday, the town's mayor has said, injuring at least one person.

One rocket landed in Kifri's Imam Mohammed neighbourhood, while another landed in the town's bazaar, Mayor Sirwan Shkur told Rudaw. The Peshmerga ministry said in a statement that the two rockets were fired at 7 pm, and landed just 500 metres away from the town's Peshmerga headquarters. 

The injured is 55-year-old Ali Rashid, who is being treated  at Kifri's Khalid Garmiyani Hospital, according to Rudaw reporter Halo Mohammed, who spoke with Rashid's family.

Although other areas of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq proper have suffered air attacks in recent days, such incidents are uncommon in Kifri town. It is not yet known who is responsible for the rocket fire.

Rockets also hit Balad Air Base in Iraq's Salahaddin province on Sunday night, injuring two members of Iraq’s security forces.

Kifri district is administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government, but is part of the swathes of territory disputed by Erbil and Baghdad. 
The Islamic State (ISIS) has exploited the lack of coordination between the security forces of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to conduct attacks in the disputed territories. 

However, the town of Kifri itself is usually safe, a security official told Mohammed.

"Things are calm here," said Brigadier Nawshirwan Ahmed, spokesperson for Garmiyan's Asayish. "Attacks on the Asayish happen far from the town."

A drone strike hit an air base at Erbil International Airport on Wednesday. 

On the same night, three rockets were fired at Zilkan military base near the town of Bashiqa, in Iraq's Nineveh province. One Turkish soldier was killed and two villagers injured in the attack. 

Updated at 11:44 pm

 

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