Kurdistan Region ‘sure to get hit’ as US-Iran hostilities spike: Peshmerga Ministry official

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Region is being caught in the crossfire of US-Iran rivalry it has played no part in, a Ministry of Peshmerga affairs official has said, after Iran launched a number of missiles at bases in Iraq hosting US-led Coalition troops – two of which struck the Kurdistan Region.

“Unfortunately, Iraq has become the center of the rivalries. With the Kurdistan Region being part of Iraq, we are sure to get hit by the fire - despite it being true that the Kurdistan Region is not involved with the existing rivalry, nor will it be involved,” Lieutenant General Jabbar Yawar, Secretary General of Ministry of Peshmerga told Rudaw on Wednesday.

His comments follow Iran’s fire of missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US and Coalition personnel in the early hours of Wednesday. In a statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had codenamed its operation “Martyr Soleimani,” in honour of IRGC general Qasem Soleimani, killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad airport on Friday.

One landed approximately 5 kilometers from Erbil International Airport, but did not explode. Another fell near the town of Bardarash, 50 kilometers from the Kurdistan Region capital.

Iraqi Security Media Cell has reported that a total of 22 missiles were fired into the country.

The IRGC claimed it fired 15 missiles at Ain al-Assad, an airbase hosting US in Anbar province, western Iraq. Iraqi Security Media Cell has reported that a total of 22 missiles were fired into the country. President Trump announced an “assessment of casualties & damages” would be taking place.

No casualties have been recorded in the Kurdistan Region, Yawar said, despite the use of more powerful weaponry by Iran.

“This is a dangerous development because of the usage of ballistic missiles...We hope it doesn't evolve beyond this,” Yawar added.

"According to the existing information, there has been no damage thankfully,” Yawar added. “However, even if there aren't human casualties, it will have other impacts," elaborating that Iraqi dinar depreciation against the US dollar, as recorded yesterday, will raise the cost of living in the Kurdistan Region.

"On both the part of the Regional Presidency and the Prime Minister, there have to be comprehensive plans for every possibility and event in the future," Yawar added.

The Kurdistan Region’s three presidencies – the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament Speaker – met to call for disagreements to be resolved through dialogue and to emphasize that the Kurdistan Region should not become a battleground for others. The meeting had been scheduled for today before the missile attacks occurred.

Before the meeting began, Yawar said discussions were likely to include the missile attacks.

"Iran targets a military base on which it has information and whose rockets it can reach -despite the military bases located in the Kurdistan Region not housing fighting forces," Yawar added.

The missile strikes come as members of the US-led Global Coalition have deliberated withdrawal of their troops from Iraq as tensions escalate. On Sunday, Iraqi parliament approved a motion to ask the government to expel foreign troops from the country.

Germany, Canada and Romania have all announced partial, temporary troop withdrawals from Iraq, though no pull out from the Kurdistan Region has been announced.

"The bases in the Kurdistan Region are for coordination in the fight against Daesh, and for advising and training. These have all been permitted by the federal government," he noted, referring to the Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.

Coalition advisers were holding meetings with Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs staff as recently as yesterday, the secretary general added.

Kurdistan Region ‘sure to get hit’ as US-Iran hostilities spike: Peshmerga Ministry official

Erbil shelter collects nearly 5,000 stray dogs in seven months

KDP weighs ending two-year Kirkuk council boycott after appeal from other parties

Heavy rains revive buffalo herding in Sulaimani’s Raparin administration

Related Articles

Erbil shelter collects nearly 5,000 stray dogs in seven months

KDP weighs ending two-year Kirkuk council boycott after appeal from other parties

Heavy rains revive buffalo herding in Sulaimani’s Raparin administration