ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said on Saturday that at least 809 drones and missiles targeted the Kurdistan Region between February 28 - when the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began - and April 20.
“Despite the neutral stance adopted by the Kurdistan Region, it nonetheless suffered 20 martyrs,” the KRG’s Department of Media and Information said in a report.
The statement added that 121 people were injured, while hundreds of homes, workplaces, and vehicles were damaged.
Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq claimed a large number of the attacks on the Kurdistan Region.
According to the KRG, the attacks were carried out “on different and unfounded pretexts.”
It noted that authorities have repeatedly called on Baghdad to open an investigation into these “terrorist acts” and hold those responsible accountable.
Israel and the United States launched an aerial campaign against Iran in late February, reportedly targeting around 17,000 sites across the country. Iran and its allied groups responded by firing thousands of drones and missiles.
The Kurdistan Region has been affected by Iran’s retaliatory strikes, which have continued despite a US-Iran ceasefire announced on April 8. The Region hosts bases belonging to the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), as well as US companies, diplomatic missions, and facilities linked to Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.
In a statement on Friday, the KRG Department of Foreign Relations reiterated that the Kurdistan Region has long been a “factor of stability”. It emphasized that its territory will not be used to threaten neighboring countries.
Although US air defense systems intercepted most incoming drones and missiles, some loitering munitions and projectiles penetrated the defenses, causing casualties and material damage.
Despite halting attacks on US targets, Iran and its allied groups in Iraq have continued to strike bases of Iranian opposition groups in the Region. Tehran accuses these groups of separatism and describes its operations against them as preemptive measures.