ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdish leaders on Tuesday condemned a drone strike in Erbil that killed a married couple, labeling it a “terrorist attack” and calling on Baghdad to prevent armed groups from targeting the Region and its civilians.
An explosive-laden drone attack “launched from Iran” killed a married couple in Erbil province early Tuesday, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Region’s Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD).
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, in a statement, strongly condemned “the terrorist attack” and extended condolences to the victims’ families. “These attacks are in no way acceptable and are completely rejected.”
“The Iraqi federal government must fulfill its duty and responsibility to prevent these crimes and terrorist attacks, and these assaults on the civilian and innocent people of the Kurdistan Region must not be repeated,” President Barzani added.
While no group has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, shadowy Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance” have previously claimed many similar strikes, describing them as retaliation for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw on Tuesday that three drones targeted the village where the couple lived, a rural agricultural area with no known military presence. Two drones fell in open land, while the third struck the couple’s home.
President Masoud Barzani also condemned the attacks and relayed condolences to the family of the victims.
“This is the utmost crime and injustice. Innocent Kurdish citizens are treated like this without any justification and are targeted by blind hatred,” he said.
“I condemn this heinous crime in the strongest terms and denounce its perpetrators,” said Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in a statement. “The targeting of civilians and civilian homes is a war crime.”
“We will convey the voice of the victims to the international community to help end the oppression and the unjustified attacks against the people of the Kurdistan Region,” he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said in a statement: “The targeting of civilians is a war crime and we condemn it very strongly.”
“We reaffirm that the lives of our people and the sanctity of our homes are absolute red lines,” said Peshmerga Minister Shoresh Ismail.
Since the onset of the conflict, Rudaw monitoring indicates that the Kurdistan Region has endured 678 drone and missile attacks. Of these, 540 targeted Erbil province, 111 struck Sulaimani, 25 hit Duhok, and two impacted Halabja.
Before Tuesday’s incident, the attacks had killed 14 people and injured 93 others, including Peshmerga forces, Asayish personnel, fighters from Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, a French soldier, and multiple civilians. With the latest fatalities, the death toll is expected to rise further.
Updated at 3:12 pm.