ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish leaders in Kurdistan Region, Syria and Turkey on Tuesday condemned a ballistic missile attack on Erbil that killed several Peshmerga fighters and injured dozens, despite the Region reiterating its neutral position amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
“I strongly condemn the Iranian missile attack on the headquarters of the Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces this morning,” said President Masoud Barzani, calling the attack “hostile and utterly unjustified.”
An Iranian ballistic missile strike on a Peshmerga base in Erbil province’s Soran administration killed six fighters and injured 30 others early Tuesday, the Region’s Peshmerga Ministry said in a statement.
“This is the umpteenth time that such attacks have been carried out against the Kurdistan Region without regard to the principles of neighborliness and international law,” President Barzani said.
The Kurdistan Region has faced a wave of drone and missile attacks since the conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran. Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks.
No party had claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack at the time of writing.
“The Kurdistan Region has not been part of the current war in the region and has never been a threat to its neighbors,” he added.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has adopted a policy of strict neutrality, positioning itself as a “factor of peace,” with its leaders repeatedly calling for dialogue and insisting that it will not allow its territory to be used to threaten its neighbors.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also strongly condemned “the Iranian missile attack that targeted the headquarters of the Peshmerga forces.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the martyrs and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” he said.
He reiterated that the Region “has always been a factor of peace and stability” and is “committed to a policy of non-involvement and conflict avoidance,” adding that it poses “no threat to the security of neighboring countries,” and therefore “this attack is a direct hostile aggression against the sovereignty of the country and has no justification and is completely contrary to the principles of good neighborliness.”
“We call on the Iraqi federal government and the international community to intensify their efforts to prevent the repetition of these violations and protect the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” he added.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also condemned what he described as a “hostile and traitorous” attack, saying, “We will take all measures to counter this hostility on the Kurdistan Region,” and called on Baghdad and the international community “to put an end to these attacks.”
Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani extended condolences to the families of the victims and strongly condemned “the targeting of the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces,” saying “we consider this attack as a violation of the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”
Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), also expressed condolences.
“We also extend our condolences to President Masoud Barzani, the leaders in the region, and the families of the martyrs in their affliction, and we wish a speedy recovery to the wounded,” he said.
“I share the grief with our Kurdish people in the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga forces over the martyrdom of their heroes,” he added.
Tuncer Bakirhan, co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), also condemned the attack in a post on X and extended condolences to the people of the Kurdistan Region and the families of the victims.
“This attack is part of a broader plan aimed at dragging the geography of Kurdistan into a regional war,” he said. “Raising our voice against these dirty attacks is both a humanitarian and political necessity.”
“We will not accept Kurds becoming a part of regional wars. Against these attacks, we will stand together and continue our common struggle with determination,” he added.
In a press conference, Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw condemned the “unjust” attack on Peshmerga forces in Soran district, said the injured are receiving treatment, and added that the Kurdistan Region will use diplomatic channels to demand an explanation from Iran for the “hostile act.”
Rudaw understands that Iraqi outlawed armed groups have carried out more than 10 attacks on KRG Peshmerga forces over the past three weeks, but this is the first attack on the Region’s forces that authorities have attributed directly to Iran.