Mass protests ongoing in Duhok against deadly Iranian missile strikes on Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Hundreds of demonstrators on early Thursday poured into the streets of Duhok province to protest Monday’s Iranian missile strikes against Erbil’s residential areas, in which at least four civilians were killed.

Waving the Kurdistan Region flags, the protestors gathered in the center of Duhok city to protest the attacks, which had similarly drawn widespread condemnations from the international community. 

Members of various religious communities have similarly taken part in the demonstrations. Tribal leaders as well as party officials similarly took part in the mass protests.

“We ask them to avoid the Kurds because we have not posed any threats to anyone,” a member of the Yezidi community, told Kurdistan24.

Another protestor condemned “the terrorist attacks”.

“We are here to express our protest at the Iranian attacks on Erbil,” one of the demonstrators, who did not provide his name, told Kurdistan24.

Similar mass protests were held on Tuesday in the Kurdistan Region's Erbil in front of the United Nations compound to protest the attacks. 

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday night targeted the private residence of a renowned Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayee during a family gathering in Erbil, where he was killed along with his daughter and two other guests. Six others were wounded in the attacks.

The US, UK, and United Nations strongly condemned the attacks, which were the second of its kind by the IRGC on private residences in Erbil.

The deadly attacks have taken center stage in the discussions between Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and leaders of various countries on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland’s Davos.