A DOZEN BALLISTIC MISSILES HIT IRAQ’S KURDISH CAPITAL

Kurdish officials claim a dozen ballistic missiles fired from outside Iraq struck Erbil, the country’s northern Kurdish regional capital, with no injuries.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility or additional information.

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw had earlier told Erbil-based TV Rudaw that the US Consulate had been attacked by terrorists.

On Sunday, a US State Department official termed it a “outrageous attack,” but claimed no Americans were injured and no US government facilities in Erbil were damaged.

Twelve missiles attacked Erbil from outside the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in the early hours of Sunday, the Kurdish counter terrorism department said following the incident, adding that the missiles originated from the east of the country

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— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) March 13, 2022

According to Iraqi official television, 12 missiles fired from outside Iraq targeted Erbil, according to the semi-autonomous Kurdish region’s counterterrorism force. It wasn’t evident where they landed right away.

Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) condemned the attack.

In a post on KRG’s official Twitter account, Barzani said: “Erbil will not bow down to cowards. I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on several places in Erbil.”

The building of the Kurdistan 24 TV channel, which is next to the U.S. Consulate, was damaged after the strikes.#Kurdistan24 #Iraq pic.twitter.com/1RvJiSHvgp

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) March 13, 2022

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has promised that security forces will investigate the attack in Erbil and has followed up with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region on the developments of the situation

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has sent his “peace and love“ to the Kurdish people following explosions in Erbil, urging “forbearance until the achievement of a national majority government”

The US forces stationed at Erbil’s international airport complex have in the past come under fire from rocket and drone attacks that US officials blame on Iran-aligned armed groups, but no such attacks have occurred for several months.

Residents of Erbil posted videos online showing several large explosions, and some said the blasts shook their homes. The Reuters news agency said it could not independently verify those videos.