EU 'deeply concerned' by missile attacks on Erbil: Ambassador

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The European Union is deeply concerned by the recent missile attack against the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil, EU Ambassador to Iraq Ville Varjola said on Monday. 

The remark came during a meeting Ambassador Varjola had with the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), President Masoud Barzani, in Erbil. On Sunday, 12 ballistic missiles were fired at the Kurdish capital, causing substantial damage to residential buildings and the Kurdistan 24 headquarters. 

The stability of Iraq and its Kurdistan Region is very important for the EU, Ambassador Varjola told Barzani. 

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attacks, which also lightly wounded a number of civilians. 

The KDP president said, "those who claimed responsibility for the attacks, in reality, cannot respond to other people at the necessary place." Consequently, they level false accusations against Erbil and attack the city's innocent people, he added, according to a statement from his office.

In addition to the latest political developments in Iraq, the two politicians also discussed the threat of terrorism. 

Pleased to have received @EUAmbIraq at the Barzani HQ today. Mr. Ville Varjola and I spoke of the political developments in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region especially vis-a-vis the formation of the new government, we also discussed the recent rocket attacks against Erbil. pic.twitter.com/W4Xzh5uTTu

— Masoud Barzani (@masoud_barzani) March 14, 2022

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi visited Kurdistan Region on Monday and was received by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. The two visited the site of the missile attack.