ERBIL — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister has strongly condemned the attacks which targeted the Erbil International Airport and the Turkish military base in Bashiqa on Wednesday, saying that he had spoken with the Iraqi leaders to find and hold accountable those behind the “terror attacks”.
“I condemn in the strongest terms tonight’s terror attacks on Erbil International Airport and Turkish military base in Bashiqa, and I condemn the terror group behind them,” PM Barzani said in a statement.
He emphasized that the attack, and those similar assaults, were a blatant attempt to undermine Kurdistan Region’s security at home and its cooperation with the global coalition.
“Any armed groups which are not operating within the official Iraqi security forces must be withdrawn from the Kurdistan Region border. Over the coming days, I will hold talks with Iraqi and international partners on practical ways to make this happen,” the Kurdish premier added.
The Kurdistan Region prime minister also discussed the attack over the phone with his Iraqi counterpart Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. He said they had reaffirmed the shared goal to hold the lawless groups accountable.
“I assure the people of Kurdistan that the members of the terror group behind this attack will be held responsible for their actions,” PM Barzani added.
Kurdistan Region’s Interior Ministry said in an official statement that preliminary investigations indicate that the attack was carried out via a drone rigged with explosives, causing damage to a building inside the airport.
It also confirmed that the attack appears to have been targeting the US-led Global Coalition forces based at the airport.