Hakim, Talabani condemn attack on Barzani residence in Duhok

DUHOK — Al-Hikma Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim and Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani condemned Saturday’s attack on Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s residence in Duhok, with Talabani warning that failure to hold perpetrators accountable would make armed groups “a more dangerous threat to the lives and property of officials and state institutions in other parts of Iraq.”

Al-Hakim called the attack “a dangerous act that threatens Iraq’s security and stability and violates its national sovereignty,” urging intensified security efforts to protect the country. Talabani described it as “a dangerous escalation” and said armed groups operating outside legal frameworks have become “a source of threat to the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” calling on the federal government to act.

Multiple drones targeted Duhok on Saturday, with security forces intercepting some of them. Prime Minister Sudani earlier called Barzani to condemn the attack and ordered the formation of a joint federal-KRG security and technical team to investigate, identify those responsible and pursue legal action.

The attack on the Kurdistan Region president’s residence marks a significant escalation in a sustained campaign against the region. Iran’s IRGC and allied militias have carried out more than 300 attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the war began Feb. 28, including six Iranian ballistic missiles that killed six Peshmerga fighters and wounded about 30 near Soran last Tuesday.