The Kurdistan Counter Terrorism Directorate said on Sunday the capital of the Kurdistan Region came under attack at about 1 am on Sunday when 12 ballistic missiles targeted the US Consulate in Erbil.
The directorate said the missiles came from outside the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, from the east, adding there has been no substantial damage due to the attack.
Kurdish officials said on Sunday there were no confirmed casualties resulting from the attacks, according to Reuters. A US official also told the news agency the attack caused no casualties to US military forces.
It is still unclear where in Erbil the rockets landed and there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.
The office of Kurdistan 24 channel in Erbil was damaged in shockwaves from the attack. Residents of Sulaimani also reported feeling a blast, leading some to wonder if an earthquake had occurred.
The head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Foreign Media Relations, Lawk Ghafuri, said on Sunday areas around the compound of the new US Consulate in Erbil were hit by missiles but the consulate itself, which is still under construction, was not struck.
Ghafuri also said flights at Erbil International Airport were continuing as scheduled.
The Prime Minister of the KRG, Masrour Barzani, said in a statement he strongly condemned the attack and requested civilians follow guidelines from security forces.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also spoke out against the attack, saying he had spoken with the KRG PM. "Our security forces will investigate and stand firm against any threats towards our people,” Kadhimi stated.
The leader of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, also responded to the incident, stating, "Erbil will not kneel, except for moderation, reception and sovereignty.”
Reporter's code: 50101