Iraq: Nine people die after Iranian attacks

Enlarge image

Inspection after Iranian attacks on the Kurdish region of Iraq

Photo: GAILAN HAJI/EPA

The conflict surrounding the death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in Iran has spread to Iraq.

While demonstrations at home and abroad have been going on for almost two weeks, the neighboring country has reported at least nine deaths from Iranian attacks in the autonomous Kurdish region.

28 other people were injured in attacks with drones and rockets.

In Tehran, Iranian state television reported that "the ground forces of the Revolutionary Guards had targeted several headquarters of separatist terrorists in northern Iraq with precision missiles and (...) drones."

A high-ranking official in the Kurdish region told the AFP news agency that civilians were also among the dead.

It is not Iran's first attack on the Kurdish region of Iraq.

According to their own statements, the Iranian armed forces already attacked bases of Kurdish separatist groups on Saturday.

The attacks by the Revolutionary Guards were justified as a "legitimate reaction" to previous attacks by Kurdish groups on Iranian military bases in the border area, according to the Tasnim news agency.

"These cowardly attacks are taking place at a time when the Iranian terror regime is failing to counter the ongoing protests (...) and crush the civil resistance of the Kurdish and Iranian people," the Kurdistan Democratic Party wrote on Twitter.

She was referring to the ongoing protests in Iran over the death of Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.

She had been arrested by the Morality Police in Tehran, apparently because she was not wearing the Islamic headscarf in accordance with the rules.

According to activists, she is said to have been beaten by the police and died as a result.

The federal government condemned the Iranian attacks.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said the escalation was "unacceptable".

Germany is very concerned about Iran's attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

"We demand that Iran respect Iraq's territorial integrity and stop the attacks immediately."

Iraq appoints ambassadors

The foreign ministry in Baghdad announced that it would summon the Iranian ambassador to hand him a "letter of protest".

Britain has demanded that Iran cease "indiscriminate bombing," calling the attacks "a violation of Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Iranian leadership continued to show "blatant disregard" for its own people, its neighbors "and the basic principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter".

Iranian Kurdish exile groups in northern Iraq have been supporting protests in Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini and denouncing the violence against demonstrators.

According to activists, at least 76 people have died in the violent crackdown on the nationwide protests in Iran by the Iranian government for days.

dam/AFP