Iraqi security officials say 12 rockets were fired at the US consulate in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Sunday.
QASIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press
March 13, 2022 at 1:25 am
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BAGHDAD — Twelve rockets were fired at the US consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil Sunday, Iraqi security officials said. A US Defense Department spokesman said the missiles were fired at the city from neighboring Iran.
Iraqi and US officials gave different estimates of the damage. A second US official said there was no damage or casualties at US government installations, but Iraqi officials said several rockets hit the US consulate. The consulate building is new and currently empty.
A US Department of Defense spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity as information was still coming in, said it is still not known exactly how many missiles were fired or exactly where they landed.
Iraqi security officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties from the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight and caused property damage in the area. They spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the rules.
One of the Iraqi officials stated that the ballistic missiles were fired from Iran, without going into details. US officials were unable to confirm the missile’s type.
A second US official said the incident was being investigated by the Iraqi government and the Kurdish regional government. The US condemned what it called “an outrageous attack on Iraqi sovereignty and violence,” the official said in a statement.
The attack comes days after an Israeli strike near Damascus, Syria, killed two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran’s foreign ministry strongly condemned Wednesday’s attack and vowed revenge.
On Sunday, Iranian state news agency IRNA quoted Iraqi media as having acknowledged the attacks in Erbil without specifying where they originated.
Satellite TV channel Kurdistan24, located near the US consulate, went on air from their studio shortly after the attack, showing broken glass and debris on their studio floor.
A security statement said Erbil was hit by “multiple rockets” early Sunday morning, adding that security forces were investigating the incident and would release more details later.
The attack came at a time when talks in Vienna over Tehran’s failed nuclear deal were put on hold by Russia’s demands for sanctions against Moscow over its war with Ukraine.
The US commander in chief in the Middle East has repeatedly warned of rising threats of attacks from Iran and Iranian-backed militias against troops and allies in Iraq and Syria.
In an interview with the Associated Press in December, Marine General Frank McKenzie said that while US forces in Iraq have transitioned to a non-combat role, Iran and its proxies still want all US troops out of the country. As a result, he said, it could provoke new attacks.”
Last July, the Biden administration decided to end the US combat mission in Iraq by Dec. 31, and US forces gradually moved into an advisory role last year. The troops will continue to provide air support and other military assistance to Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State.
The US presence in Iraq has long been a flashpoint for Tehran, but tensions soared after a US drone near the Baghdad airport killed a senior Iranian general in January 2020. In response, Iran launched a missile attack on the Al-Assad airbase, where US troops were stationed. As a result of the explosions, more than 100 servicemen received craniocerebral injuries.
Recently, Iranian proxies have been believed to be responsible for the attempted assassination late last year of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Qadimi.
And officials have said they believe Iran is behind an October drone attack on a military outpost in southern Syria where US troops are based. As a result of the attack, none of the American soldiers were killed or injured.
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Qadhimi tweeted: “The aggression against the dear city of Erbil and spreading fear among its inhabitants is an attack on the security of our people.”
Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the semi-autonomous Kurdish-controlled region, condemned the attack. In a Facebook post, he said Erbil “will not bow to the cowards who carried out the attack.”
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Associated Press contributors Lolita S. Baldor and Matthew Lee in Washington DC and John Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.
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This story has been corrected to show that US officials did not claim that the US consulate was damaged.