Asia17 August, 20263 min read
Iranian Drones Target Masrour Barzani’s Office in Erbil, Kurdistan Security Says No Casualties
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Two drones launched from across the Iranian border targeted Masrour Barzani's private office and the Parastin chief's residence. No casualties were reported from the drone attack.
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Drone strike on Barzani
The office of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government prime minister, Masrour Barzani, was targeted in a drone attack, and the region’s security agency said there were no reports of casualties. Al Jazeera reported that the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service said “Two Hadid-110 drones targeted the private office of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the residence of the Security Directorate”, and it said the attacks were launched from Iranian territory. Al-Arabi Al-Jadid said the Counter-Terrorism Department announced on Monday that Barzani’s office in Erbil and the house of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by an Iranian drone.
The same Al-Arabi Al-Jadid statement said the “two attacks, (fortunately) did not result in any human losses,” and it condemned the assaults as unacceptable while holding perpetrators responsible. In a post on X, Barzani condemned the attack as “illegitimate and unacceptable,” describing it as “a dangerous step and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region,” according to Al Jazeera.
Condemnations and blame
Nechirvan Barzani condemned the attacks that targeted the office of the Region’s Prime Minister and the residence of the head of the Security Agency, describing them as “completely rejected” and a dangerous escalation. Al Jazeera Net said Nechirvan Barzani urged the federal government to assume its responsibilities and fulfill its constitutional obligations in protecting the country’s security and stability, while calling for de-escalation and preventing recurrence. In the same reporting, the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service said two drones launched from the Iranian border targeted the Prime Minister’s private office and the Security Agency director’s residence in the Qadisiyyah district of Erbil Province, and it added that two armed drones of the HK-110 model were used.
Al-Arabi Al-Jadid quoted a member of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party, الوفاء محمد كريم, warning that using armed, explosive drones to target sites inside the region represents “a serious escalation that cannot be treated as a passing incident.” The article also included Barzani’s X post, where he said “after an investigation by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit, my personal office and the home of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by Iranian drone attacks earlier today.”
Security stakes for Erbil
The attack sharpened questions about the Kurdistan Region’s ability to protect its airspace and territory, with Al Jazeera Net’s correspondent in Erbil, Stera Hakim, describing the targeted area of Birqam as a sensitive zone that houses security offices and residences of officials. Al Jazeera Net said the correspondent highlighted that the targeting shifted “from Iranian opposition bases to the heart of the security and political establishment in the region,” and it raised the central question of air protection in light of the absence of regional air defenses and reliance on international coalition defenses that cover specific sites. Al Jazeera Net also reported that Erbil sent detailed reports to Baghdad about the number and locations of the attacks, while Baghdad said it had opened investigations and reached some information.
Al-Quds Al-Arabi said the Kurdistan regional government accused Iran of involvement and described the drone attack as a serious threat to the region’s security, adding that “no injuries recorded” were reported. Al-Quds Al-Arabi further said the attack came after the Counter-Terrorism Directorate announced last Friday the downing and destruction of three improvised explosive drones over Erbil, with coalition forces managing to down and destroy three improvised drones “at exactly 02:17 to 02:25,” and it said there were no human losses.