UN chief condemns attack on President Barzani’s residence, calls for 'immediate' probe

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday strongly condemned the drone attack that targeted the residence of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani the day before, urging "an immediate and thorough investigation" into the incident.

In a statement, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said that Guterres "strongly condemns the drone attack carried out on [Saturday,] 28 March, on the residence of the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, in [the Region's northern] Duhok province."

The head of the world body further called for "an immediate and thorough investigation into the attack and for those responsible to be held accountable," while also urging "all actors to reject violence in all its forms and to work to prevent any attempts to destabilize Iraq."

The US and Israel on February 28 launched a coordinated military campaign against Iran, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) reporting on Saturday that more than 11,000 targets across Iran have been struck so far.

In response, Tehran has carried out thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets in the region - particularly in Gulf Arab states - as well as launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.

The Iranian response has also involved Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Tehran-led 'Axis of Resistance,' with several factions claiming responsibility for attacks on purported US targets in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. The latest incident included a drone attack targeting President Barzani’s residence in Duhok.

According to Rudaw tracking, roughly 500 drone and missile attacks have been launched at the Kurdistan Region since late February, with at least 50 carried out just last night.

Last updated at 09:30 pm