Mass protests against IRGC missile attacks on Erbil continue in Akre

“Our will is stronger than Mount Peres,” another protestor said, referring to one of the Kurdistan Region’s mountains.

Kurdistan 24 2024/01/22 12:02

Thousands gather in Akre city to protest IRGC missile attacks on Erbil, Jan. 22, 2024. (Photo: Kurdistan24)

Kurdistan Akre IRGC Peshraw Dizayee Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Thousands of residents on Monday took to the main streets of Akre town to protest last week’s attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran against the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil, where at least four civilians were killed.

Members of various faith communities and professions took part in the mass gathering in the center of Akre town, where they raised the Kurdistan flag and chanted patriotic slogans.

“We call on Iran and the international community to put an end to the attacks on Erbil,” a protestor who did not provide his name told Kurdistan24, adding the Kurdish region does not eye on anyone’s lands.

“Our will is stronger than Mount Peres,” another protestor said, referring to one of the Kurdistan Region’s mountains.

Mass protests have also been held in Bardarash district.

Akre is following Erbil, Duhok, and Zakho, where they have similarly held large protests against the deadly attacks that had targeted the private residence of a Kurdish construction tycoon, Peshraw Dizayee, who was killed along with his less-than-a-year-old daughter, a guest, and a housekeeper.

The IRGC said the site was a “Mossad espionage center”, referring to the Israeli intelligence agency. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) vehemently rejected the allegations, describing them as “baseless”.

Moreover, the Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassem Al-Araji and an Iraqi parliamentary investigation team similarly announced that the targeted place was a “family residence”, rejecting the allegations.

Human Rights Watch on Monday said Iran’s attack had only killed civilians in the house.

This is not the first time that Iran has targeted the private residences of Kurdish businessmen through ballistic missiles.

In early 2022, the country fired a salvo of missiles at the mansion of Sheikh Baz, an oil tycoon, alleging the site was a “Mossad spy center”, a claim that had been widely rejected by the KRG and Iraqi government. International condemnation of the attack followed later.