As many as 12 missiles struck Iraq’s northern city of Erbil on Sunday near the US consulate, Iraqi security officials said. Erbil is the capital of Iraq’s Kurdish region.
According to the reports, the US defence official said missiles were launched at the city from neighbouring Iran, adding that no injuries have been reported so far. The US officials have said there was no damage at any government facility and that there was no indication the target was the consulate building, which is new and currently unoccupied.
The US defence official said they were unaware of how many missiles were fired and where they landed.
The Iraqi officials said the missiles did not target the US buildings but that the missiles had hit areas around the compound. They said there were no casualties from the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight and caused material damage in the area.
The Iraqi officials also said that the ballistic missiles were fired from Iran.
Meanwhile, the US has condemned the attacks, saying it was an “outrageous attack against Iraqi sovereignty and display of violence”.
Satellite broadcast channel Kurdistan24, which is located near the US consulate in Erbil, went on air from their studio shortly after the attack. The main office was damaged, showing shattered glass and debris on their studio floor.
The missile attacks come a week after an Israeli strike near Damascus, Syria, killing two of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard members. Iran had strongly condemned the attack and had vowed to take revenge.
In January 2020, the US forces were targeted in Iraq in an Iranian retaliation for the US killing of its military commander Qassem Soleimani. No US personnel were killed in the 2020 attack, but many had suffered head injuries.