ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Italian base in the Kurdistan Region was struck by a missile in an overnight attack, Rome’s defense minister reported Thursday, noting that there were no casualties.
In a statement on X, the Italian defense ministry quoted Defense Minister Guido Crosetto as saying, “A missile hit our base in Erbil. There are no casualties or injuries among the Italian personnel.”
For his part, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed in a statement on X, his “firm condemnation of the attack against the Italian base in Erbil,” noting that he spoke with his country’s ambassador to Iraq who confirmed that “our soldiers are all well and safe in the bunker.
“I offer them my solidarity and gratitude for their daily service to our country,” Tajani concluded.
Italy currently maintains a contingent of approximately 300 troops stationed in Erbil, where they train Kurdish security forces as part of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS), according to the Italian defense ministry website.
The incident comes as the joint US-Israeli campaign against Iran entered its thirteenth day on Thursday, targeting security and military installations as well as government institutions across the country.
Iran, for its part, said on Friday that it had launched more than 2,000 drones and over 600 missiles targeting US and Israeli positions as part of its multi-front response.
The Iranian response has also included attacks by groups aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance,’ including shadowy armed factions that have recently targeted alleged US assets in Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region.
According to Rudaw’s tracking, as of noon Wednesday, nearly 250 drones had been directed toward the Kurdistan Region. Of those, more than 200 drones and missiles targeted Erbil province, leaving at least four people dead and 19 others injured.
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