A dozen ballistic missiles struck Erbil, the capital city of Kurd region in Iraq on Sunday morning, local Reuters reported, citing local officials. The Kurdish officials said that there were no casualties.
In a statement on Twitter, press spokesperson for the Kurdistan regional government, Lawk Ghafuri, said: “Erbil remains the capital of peace and stability”.
He also confirmed that the missiles were targeted around the new US consulate compound in Erbil.
“The attack did not result human casualties, but only material damages,” he said. “The ballistic missiles were launched from the eastern side of Iraq’s border.”
An unidentified US official told Reuters that the missiles had been launched from Iran. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
This is not the first time that Erbil, where US forces are stationed in Iraq, has come under fire. The US forces deployed at Erbil’s international airport complex have in the past endured rocket fires and drone attacks, according to Reuters. The US officials have earlier blamed Iran-aligned militia groups for such attacks.
A US State department spokesperson on Sunday described the attack as “outrageous”. He added that no Americans were hurt and that there was no damage to the US government facilities in Erbil.
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Masrour Barzani, also condemed the attacks.
“I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Erbil and call on its resilient people to keep calm and follow the guidance of the security services,” he wrote in a tweet.
The attack came days after an Israeli strike near Damascus, Syria, that had killed two members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the Associated Press reported.
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