France condemns attack on Peshmerga base in Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - France’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the drone attack that targeted the Peshmerga forces a day prior, calling for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to be respected. 

“France condemns in the strongest terms the particularly serious attack carried out using armed drones against a headquarters of Kurdish forces last night in Pirmam, in the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” read a statement by the French foreign ministry, adding that the perpetrators of the “violent and destabilizing actions” must be identified and prosecuted.

The French foreign ministry also called for the respect “the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Iraq and the stability and security” of the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday announced that two explosive-laden drones targeted a Peshmerga base in Erbil province’s Pirmam the night before.
KRG Spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani released a statement holding the Iraqi federal government responsible for the “cowardly attacks” of government-linked “outlaw” groups.

The statement added that the KRG expects Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani to punish these groups, adding that Erbil reserves the right to respond to these attacks “at the appropriate time.” It also called on its allies to support Erbil in the face of such strikes.

Hours later, Iraqi government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi released a statement blasting “baseless lies” of the KRG statement.

“The federal government expresses its astonishment at the statement of the spokesperson for the government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which included various unfounded and irresponsible accusations, mixing misleading information and baseless lies,” read a statement from Iraqi government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi.

Numerous recent rocket and drone attacks, mainly on American targets, in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq since October have been attributed to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow militia groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).