US 'outraged' by rocket attack on Erbil, vows to 'hold accountable those responsible'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on February 15 called for an investigation into a rocket attack on an airbase in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and promised to “hold accountable those responsible”. According to BBC, Blinken said that the United States is “outraged” by the rocket attack in the Kurdistan region. He further added that he reached out to Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to discuss the incident and to pledge the US’ support for all efforts to investigate and hold accountable those responsible. 

As per reports, a US service member and five other contractors were injured when several rockets were fired at several areas in Erbil city on Monday. A base used by the US-led coalition was also attacked. Following the attack, a previously obscure pro-Iranian group said that it launched the strike. 

According to the Washington Post, the Guardians of Blood Brigades militia said that it had targeted the “American occupation”. The killed and injured contractors are all believed to be foreign nationals. The local Kurdish authorities said that three people in Erbil were also injured, including one in a critical state. 

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‘Criminal terrorist attack’ 

Following the attack, the city airport was shut. Iraqi President Barham Salih called it a “criminal terrorist attack” and further even warned of a “dangerous escalation” in the volatile region. It is worth noting that the attack was the first time Western military or diplomatic installations have been targeted in Iraq in nearly two months, after a string of such incidents. 

Meanwhile, there are approximately 2,500 US troops in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against remnants of the Islamic state, mainly for training and advisory purposes. This is thought to be the first missile attack on a Western target in Iraq since US President Joe Biden took office last month. Under former US President Donald Trump, Washington had vowed that the killing of an American national in such a rocket attack would prompt retaliation against Iran, whom US military officials accuse of backing the Iraqi militia groups behind the strikes. 

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