Kurdistan's Security Council slams Iranian officials for spreading false information on Erbil's missile attack

Shafaq News/ The Security Council of Iraq's Kurdistan on Wednesday slammed Iranian officials and institutions for spreading "false information" about the Iranian ballistic missile attack on Erbil, the capital city of the region, that killed four civilians and injured six others.

In a statement, the council said that "after the cowardly missile attacks on Erbil and the strong reaction of the federal government... some Iranian institutions began to spread false news and images that are not related to the attack."

The council accused Iranian officials of "practicing deception" in order to justify their "barbaric actions."

It also said that "these efforts cannot derail the angry public opinion in the region and Iraq in the face of this crime and violation."

According to the statement, "the Kurdistan Region is legitimate under the Iraqi and regional constitutions and laws, and part of the coalition forces present in the Kurdistan Region are with the knowledge and approval of the federal government."

The council stressed that "serious steps must be taken at the local and international levels to protect the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, and to protect our citizens from the danger of regional conflicts."

On Monday evening, projectiles struck an upmarket neighbourhood in the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, where the US consulate is located.

The blasts killing businessman Peshraw Dizayee, his two children, aged 11 months and 18 months old, and two other people, according to local media reports.

Iran claimed it targeted an "Israeli spy base", which Barzani and Iraq's federal government in Baghdad rejected.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani denied in a statement to reporters these allegations and said he was at a loss to know why Tehran had targeted Erbil.

"Perhaps you can ask them – because so far all we have seen are innocent civilians that have been targeted by the Iranians," he said.

Barzani said that a joint probe with the federal government is underway to investigate the situation.

"The Iraqi government has already issued a statement to condemn the attack. There is an investigation team already in Erbil investigating," he said.

"They have indicated that they might take this to National Security [Council] and we will see what he results of the investigation will be."

Asked about how Iran can be deterred from future attacks, he said, "What is surprising is that we are not part of this conflict.