Iraq
Scattered debris following the overnight missile attack in Erbil on March 13, 2022. Photo: Safin Hamed/AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq has summoned the Iranian ambassador to Iraq and informed him of Iraq's "objection and strong, clear views" regarding the recent missile attack that targeted Erbil, the spokesperson for Iraq's foreign ministry told Rudaw on Sunday.
A dozen ballistic missiles fell on residential neighborhoods near the US consulate building in Erbil in the early hours of Sunday morning, injuring two civilians. The attack was conducted on the basis of targeting a secret Israeli base in the city, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
"A dire situation like this requires a unified effort by the Iraqi people for confronting it," Ahmed al-Sahaf, spokesperson for Iraq's foreign ministry told Rudaw's Shahyan Tahseen, adding that "there are other precautions that the Iraqi foreign ministry is studying for confronting this threat that affected the lands of Iraq."
Sahaf reiterated that Iraq "will take all necessary measures" to ensure its sovereignty, noting that the country will not tolerate attacks that threaten the security of its people.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi held an emergency meeting alongside the Iraqi national security council on Sunday evening to discuss the recent attack on Erbil.
During the meeting, those present requested "frank and clear explanations from the Iranian side," and an expectation that the Iranian leadership reject the aggression that originated from Iranian territory.
Kadhimi's office also stated that Iraq had previously refused to have its land used as a battleground between other countries, and that the country maintains full sovereignty over its territory.
#LATEST: PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi holds an emergency meeting with the Iraqi national security council to discuss Sunday’s missile attack in Erbil – Kadhimi’s office
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) March 13, 2022
📸: Kadhimi's office pic.twitter.com/8T2EyheSWH
The IRGC, a part of Iran's military, on Sunday claimed responsibility for targeting "the strategic center of the Zionist [Israeli] conspiracy and evil by point-to-point missile," Iranian state media reported, avoiding direct mention of Erbil or the Kurdistan Region.
However, the media outlet reported the incident as an attack targeting "Mossad [Israeli intelligence] bases in Erbil," earlier in the morning.
Zryan Wazir, one of two civilians injured by the attack, spoke to Rudaw on Sunday and detailed his situation in the aftermath of the missile strikes.
"I came back from work and I heard a very loud sound near the farms in the area. When I heard the sounds, the windows in my car exploded," he said, adding that he hid at a nearby shop until the situation calmed down.
Wazir, who is a taxi driver, noted that his condition is stable despite shards of broken glass from his car striking his face.
The widely condemned attack came less than a week after Iran vowed to seek revenge against Israel, saying it will "pay the price" for the killing of two members of the IRGC in an airstrike in Syria. Tensions between Iran and Israel have surged since negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal began last year.
The US condemned the attack, saying that "Iran must be held accountable for this flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and for terrorist attacks on innocent civilian properties."
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) called on the international community to urgently investigate the "baseless attack," saying that the attack targeted civilian locations and reiterating that that "the propaganda of the perpetrators of this attack is far from true."
Fingers have largely been pointed at Iran-backed militias for rocket and drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, with airports and US bases among the primary targets.
There have been at least 30 reported rocket and drone attacks on bases and facilities housing US forces and personnel in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region last year, according to data compiled by Rudaw English.
However, ballistic missiles were last used on January 8, 2020, when Iran attacked an Iraqi air base in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian Commander Qasem Soleimani.
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