Shafaq News- Erbil

Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw on Wednesday said more than 100 drone and rocket attacks have targeted the Kurdistan Region’s capital so far, warning the Region may be forced to protect its land and people if Baghdad "fails to stop them."

Speaking at a press conference, Khoshnaw blamed the Iraqi federal government for the attacks, as drones launched from different parts of Iraq by "outlaw groups" ultimately fall under Baghdad’s responsibility because it controls the country’s airspace and borders. Debris from downed drones and rockets has damaged civilian property at several sites, he added, urging the federal government to compensate those affected.

Separately, Dindar Zebari, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Coordinator for International Advocacy, said in a statement that the attacks on Erbil had escalated since February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran, targeting infrastructure and residential areas despite the Kurdistan Region not being a party to conflicts in the Middle East.

While neither Khoshnaw nor Zebari named the actors behind the attacks, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of Iran-aligned armed factions, said yesterday it carried out 27 aerial attacks within 24 hours targeting US military bases in Iraq and elsewhere in the region, using drones and rockets against what it described as “enemy bases.” A day before that, the group claimed launching 67 operations over 48 hours across two Iraqi provinces and four other countries, including attacks targeting US bases in Iraq, such as Harir, Ain Al-Asad, Erbil, Al-Rukban, and Al-Rasheed, as well as sites in Kurdistan and locations in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.