Iraqi Kurdish PM Barzani’s office targeted in drone attack

The office of the prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been targeted in a drone attack, the region’s security agency said, adding that there were no reports of casualties.

The statement said the home of the head of the semi-autonomous Iraqi region’s security and intelligence agency had also been targeted by drones early on Monday.

The attacks were launched from Iranian territory, the agency said, without clarifying whether the drones hit their targets.

“Two Hadid-110 drones targeted the private office of the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the residence of the Security Directorate”, the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Service said in a statement cited by Iraq’s state news agency.

The statement confirmed that no casualties were reported.

In a post on X, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned the attack as “illegitimate and unacceptable”.

“This is a dangerous step and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region,” he said.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday there was no justification for the attack, and suggested it was staged to drive a wedge between Tehran and the Kurdish region.

“Nothing justifies the reckless attack on PM Barzani’s office. Kurdish friends should be vigilant against false-flag ploys to sow discord between neighbours,” he said in a post on X.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the attack, his media office said.

The committee will establish where the drones were launched from, identify those responsible and then take measures against them, the statement said.

Iran and Iran-aligned armed groups have repeatedly accused Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region of harbouring Iranian Kurdish opposition groups that ‌Tehran regards as a security threat.

Iraqi Kurdish authorities deny allowing their territory to be used to threaten neighbouring countries.