The United States did not rule out a response to the missile attack on the international coalition led by American forces deployed in Erbil, Kurdistan, IraqOnce you select the responsible.
The attack left on Monday A civilian contractor was killed and at least nine woundedAmong them is an American soldier, after up to fourteen rockets were fired at the forces, three of them landed on Erbil International Airport, where the anti-terrorist coalition forces are stationed.
“The President of the United States (Joe Biden) and the Administration reserve the right to respond when and in whatever manner we choose,” The White House spokeswoman indicated, Jane Psaki, At his daily press conference.
Psaki said that, unlike the American soldier, the attack also hit a number of US contractors, something the international coalition has yet to confirm.
The official stressed that the United States has not yet determined who was responsible for the attack, and that until it does, it will not take possible measures to respond to it.Despite his claim that both the State Department and the Pentagon have offered to assist in the investigation to the Iraqi authorities.
Likewise, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said, Ned PriceHe told reporters that the investigation was still in its “early stages” and that it was “too early” to speak of possible retaliation.
Kurdish Prime Minister, Masrour BarzaniOn Tuesday, he spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and confirmed that he had asked him to “support Kurdistan and the central government in the joint investigation to identify and bring the perpetrators” to justice.
The attack came just three weeks before Pope Francis visited Erbil, a relatively stable region free of the presence of Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.
Erbil airport was also attacked last September with six missiles that did not cause material damage or casualties, and their responsibility has not been determined. Its chief said that the air base remained closed this Tuesday, while the authorities assessed the damage. Ahmed HoshiarAgence France-Presse.
After what happened The United Nations warned on Tuesday that Iraq could slide back into instability. On Twitter the United Nations representative in Iraq, Jenin Hennes BlashardtHe condemned the “brutal and dangerous acts” which “constitute a serious threat to stability.”
He also called for “restraint” and cooperation in the investigation between Erbil, the capital of the Autonomous Kurdistan Region (north), and Baghdad.
The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) accused the groups “under” the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of paramilitary factions now integrated into the Iraqi state, of being “the source of the attack.”
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-KazemiHe condemned the attack that aimed to “create chaos” in Iraq and pledged to prevent his country from becoming a “backyard” in which regional conflicts take place.
Two intelligence sources told AFP that the missiles were launched from within the autonomous region. Meanwhile, the attack was claimed by an unknown group calling itself Awliya al-Dam (“Guardians of Blood”). Security officials indicated that they believe it is a pseudonym to hide the known pro-Iranian factions that want the coalition forces to leave the country.
Western military and diplomatic facilities have been targeted by dozens of missiles in Iraq since late 2019, most of them in Baghdad. however, Iranian missiles were fired at Erbil airport in January 2020, days after the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was killed by an American drone strike in Baghdad.This attack raised fears of a direct war between Iran and the United States.
Then rockets were regularly fired at the US embassy in Baghdad, with US and Iraqi officials blaming militias loyal to Iran. In October, Washington threatened to close its embassy if the attacks did not stop.
Later, the pro-Iranian Iraqi factions agreed to a negotiated armistice sponsored by the Iraqi government and the missile attacks nearly stopped.
Since Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State in late 2017, The number of foreign forces was reduced to 3,500 soldiers, including 2,500 Americans, nearly all of them in ErbilAccording to a source in the coalition.
With information from EFE and AFP
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