Residents of Sulaimani, Ranya protest against Erbil missile attack

“We have endured massacres and bombings by Kurdish enemies for a significant period of time. However, it is undeniable that the Kurds have continued to make progress,” he added.
Residents of Sulaimani protesting against Erbil missile attack, Jan. 23, 2024. (Photo: Kurdistan24)
Residents of Sulaimani protesting against Erbil missile attack, Jan. 23, 2024. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Sulaimani and Ranya on Tuesday became the latest Kurdistan Region hosts for protests of the Jan. 15 Erbil missile attack.

Kamaran Ghareeb, a demonstrator in Sulaimani, informed Kurdistan24 that “several civil society organizations have called upon the people of Sulaimani, as well as other Kurdish cities and towns, to stand united against the atrocities committed by Iran in the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Today, our aim is to express that Sulaimani stands in solidarity with other Kurdish cities, sharing their pain.”

"The people of Sulaimani have always been the voice of Kurdishness and patriotism. Today, they are raising their humanitarian voices against all global crises. They firmly believe that we are all united in this land, willing to sacrifice our lives for it if necessary," Ghareeb added.

Meanwhile, Ali Hassan, one of the organizers of the Ranya protest, told Kurdistan24, "As citizens of the Raparin independent administration, we want to make it clear that the residents of Ranya reject any form of aggression against the Kurdistan Region.

Hassan called upon the citizens of Ranya to participate in the protest, emphasizing, "This rally is not solely against Iranian attacks, but against any attack on the Kurdistan Region by any country."

“We have endured massacres and bombings by our Kurdish enemies for a significant period of time. However, it is undeniable that the Kurds have continued to make progress,” he added.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the night of Jan. 15 targeted the private residence of renowned Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayee during a family gathering in Erbil, where he was killed along with his daughter and a guest. Several of Dizayee’s children and his wife remain hospitalized with critical injuries.

At the time, the US, UK, and United Nations strongly condemned the attacks.

The missile attack was the second of its kind by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on private residences in Erbil, with the last such instance occurring at the site of a prominent Kurdish oil tycoon in 2021.

Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq