Iraqi PM Sudani condemns attack on President Nechirvan Barzani's residence in Duhok

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Saturday condemned an attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Duhok during a phone call with the Kurdish president, according to a statement from Sudani’s media office.

The statement added that President Barzani and Prime Minister Sudani also discussed “the latest developments in Iraq and the region, national security issues, and ways to ensure security and stability.”

“During the call, Mr. al-Sudani expressed his condemnation and rejection of the brutal attack on Mr. Barzani’s home in Duhok Governorate,” the statement read, adding that the Iraqi premier hailed the Kurdish president’s “patriotic stances and his commitment to strengthening unity among all Iraqis.”

The Iraqi prime minister also ordered the formation of “a joint security and technical team from the relevant security agencies in the federal government and the regional government to investigate the incident, identify the perpetrators, and take all necessary legal measures against them.”

During the phone call, Sudani affirmed his cabinet’s “commitment to preventing any outlaw, regional, or international entity from dragging Iraq into the ongoing conflict in the region.”

Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also “strongly condemned” the targeting of President Barzani’s residence in Duhok, calling it “a dangerous escalation,” and warned the Iraqi government that outlawed and illegal groups have become “a source of threat” to the security of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

The attack on President Barzani’s residence in Duhok comes as the Kurdistan Region was targeted by more than half a dozen drone attacks on Saturday.

Saturday’s renewed attacks on the Kurdistan Region come nearly a week after the killing of several Peshmerga fighters and the injury of nearly two dozen others in a missile strike launched by Iran.

The Kurdistan Region has for weeks been caught in the crosshairs of the Iran-Israel-US conflict, with Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Tehran-led “Axis of Resistance” carrying out more than 460 strikes on alleged American targets in the Region since the onset of the conflict on February 28, according to Rudaw tracking.

The assaults persist despite repeated assurances from Kurdish leaders that the Region is not a party to the conflict and will not allow its territory to be used as a launchpad for attacks against neighboring countries, including Iran.

Updated at 6:10 pm with a statement from KRG DPM Qubad Talabani.