Saudi Arabia on Monday condemned Saturday’s attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s home. In doing so, Riyadh joined several countries in the region that already condemned the drone strike.
Iraq has allowed Iranian-backed militias to escalate their attacks over the past month, during which more than 500 have targeted the autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq.
“The Foreign Ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of the residences of the President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Nechirvan Barzani, and the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, as well as all attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” Saudi Arabia said.
Jordan also condemned the attack, the Kurdistan Regional Government said.
“President Nechirvan Barzani received a letter from His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” it said, adding that “in the letter, he expressed his condolences and sympathy, as well as those of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to President Nechirvan Barzani and to the families and relatives of the victims of the drone attack on Soran on March 24, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. His Majesty the King of Jordan also strongly condemned the drone attack that targeted President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Duhok yesterday and reaffirmed his country’s support for the Kurdistan Region and for maintaining Iraq’s security and stability.”
The UAE also condemned the attack. The UAE president “offered a strong condemnation” of the attack and said the UAE offers “unwavering support for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in preserving their security and stability.”
The US also condemned the attack. “The United States unequivocally and forcefully condemns the despicable terrorist attacks by Iran’s terrorist militia proxies in Iraq on the private residence of Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani,” it said. “These actions by Iran and its proxies are a direct assault on Iraq’s sovereignty, stability, and unity. We categorically reject the indiscriminate and cowardly terrorist acts that Iran and its terrorist proxies have unleashed in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and throughout Iraq.”
Iraqi Defense Ministry uncovers ready-to-launch rockets
In a related development, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said it had unearthed rockets that were ready to be fired at the Kurdistan Region.
“Iraq’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that its forces foiled an attempted ‘Katyusha rocket attack’ in Kirkuk, seizing several rockets and their launchers before they could be used, with no casualties reported,” Kurdistan Region-based news channel Rudaw Media Network reported. “The incident comes amid a recent surge in attacks targeting the Iraqi army and Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Kirkuk and Iraq’s western Anbar province.”
Iraq’s 11th Infantry Division in Kirkuk said it had found the rockets. They appeared to be the typical Iranian-made 107-mm. types that have been used in numerous attacks by Iranian-backed militias over the years, it said.
It was unclear whether Iraq actually had thwarted the attack or if the militias told the Iraqis where to look so that Iraq could appear to be helping the US.
Meanwhile, the US and Iraq have established a joint committee to look into the continuing militia attacks.
“Within the framework of the strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States of America, and over many years of friendship and joint strategic cooperation in the political, economic, and security fields – culminating in joint efforts to defeat ISIS – it was decided to establish a High Joint Coordination Committee,” the US Department of State said. “Both sides emphasized their commitment to keeping Iraq outside the scope of the ongoing military conflict in the region, fully respecting its sovereignty, and supporting Iraq in ensuring its territory, airspace, and territorial waters cannot be used to threaten Iraq, or neighboring and regional states.”