KRG hopes US strikes prevent re-use of chemical weapons

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Friday strongly condemned the chemical attack on Syria’s Idlib and supported the US air strikes on the al-Shayarat air base.

The USS Porter and USS Ross warships in the Mediterranean Sea launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian air base on Thursday night.

The Pentagon explained the move was in retaliation for the recent chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed over 70 people and wounded 500 others.

“The people of the Kurdistan Region have greatly suffered at the hands of the former deposed Ba’ath regime,” the Council of the KRG Ministers said in a statement.

“One of the most dreadful sufferings was the use of chemical weapons against the town of Halabja [in 1988], where in a few seconds, 5,000 people died,” the report continued.

Moreover, the KRG criticized the international community for remaining silent for the chemical assault on Halabja, claiming such violence would not have been repeated now if the world reacted then.

“We strongly condemn this crime [chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun] and share the grief of the families of the victims,” read the statement.

It also mentioned that to prevent the reoccurrence of those crimes, “the international community must take a serious stance.”

“We hope that the measures taken by the US forces in Syria will prevent such crimes from being committed again,” the report concluded.

Additionally, the KRG called for exerting stern efforts to find a “swift solution” for the turmoil and instability in the Middle East.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany