Iraqi Parliament forms committee to investigate Iranian attack on Erbil

Shafaq News / The Iraqi Parliament's Presidency announced on Tuesday the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate the details of the Iranian "aggression" on Erbil, calling on the federal government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to intervene immediately to halt these violations.

In a statement, the Parliament's Presidency condemned the targeting of several locations in Erbil by Iranian ballistic missiles, describing it as a "crime" that resulted in the death of innocent citizens, including children and women.

The Parliament's Presidency urged the federal government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to take "immediate action to stop these external aggressions, protect national sovereignty, and prevent the recurrence of such violations from neighboring countries."

Furthermore, the statement called for the formation of a joint committee from the parliamentary committees on security, defense, and foreign affairs to investigate the details of the attack and its consequences on civilian lives.

On Monday night, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) conducted a fierce missile attack targeting civilian areas in Erbil, resulting in the death and injury of 10 civilians.

IRGC claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that they came "in response to the crimes of the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic, the latest of which was the killing of several IRGC leaders by Zionist fire, targeting a main Mossad spy center in KRI and destroying it with ballistic missiles."

The statement added that this Zionist center was the main one responsible for developing and launching espionage operations and planning terrorist activities in the region, especially against Iran.

The Security Council of the Kurdistan Region condemned, early today, the missile bombardment conducted by IRGC, targeting various areas in Erbil, as a "blatant violation of the sovereignty" of the Region and Iraq.

The Council stated that at 11:30 on the night of January 15 to January 16, 2024, IRGC bombarded several civilian areas in Erbil with ballistic missiles, resulting in the death of four civilians and the injury of six others, some of whom are in critical condition.

The statement added that IRGC declared that the attack targeted several locations of groups opposed to Iran, pointing out that this excuse has no basis, and we reject it. They always use baseless excuses to attack Erbil.

The statement emphasized that "Erbil, as a stable region, has never been a source of threat to any party."

The statement continued that the strikes carried out by the IRGC on Erbil are a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the region and Iraq," and the federal government and the international community must not remain silent about this crime.