Protest in al-Sulaymaniyah against Iranian airstrikes on Erbil

Shafaq News / Dozens of residents of al-Sulaymaniyah protested on Tuesday, expressing condemnation of the Iranian airstrikes on Erbil. Protesters argued that the "terrorist" airstrikes aim to undermine the territorial integrity of the Region and target its economy.

According to our correspondent, the demonstration commenced in Nali Park in the city center, with protesters raising Kurdistan flags and images of the victims.

Activist Tara Mohammed stated, "We demand the cessation of attacks on the Kurdistan Region. The attacks on Erbil are inhumane and terrorist, targeting innocent civilians."

She added, "The goal of targeting Erbil is not the claims made by Iran but rather to undermine the unity of Kurdistan and target its economy."

Protesters called on the United Nations, the international community, and the Iraqi government to stand against the "repeated attacks on Kurdistan's territories, causing panic and fear among the citizens." They emphasized that "the region has never been and will never be a tool for aggression against neighboring countries or a means to settle scores between conflicting states."

Last Monday, January 16, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard launched a fierce missile attack targeting civilian areas in the city of Erbil, resulting in the death and injury of 10 civilians.

The Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the strikes, stating that they were in "response to the crimes of the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic." This retaliation allegedly included the killing of several Revolutionary Guard leaders by Israeli forces, targeting a Mossad spy base in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which was destroyed by ballistic missiles.

The Council of Security in the Kurdistan Region condemned the missile strikes by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, considering them a "blatant violation of the sovereignty of the region and Iraq as a whole."