Coordination Framework calls drone strike on Barzani’s office a terrorist attack

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Coordination Framework condemned the drone strike on Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani’s private office as a terrorist attack on Monday, the first response from Baghdad’s governing Shia coalition after a day of Kurdish demands for federal action.

The statement came after the Framework’s regular meeting, attended by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and held at Ammar al-Hakim’s office, which also reviewed the first 100 days of Zaidi’s government and discussed security, economic and public service issues. The coalition renewed its support for restricting weapons to state control, calling it a national demand to be pursued through dialogue as the international coalition’s mission ends.

Two explosive Hadid-110 drones hit Barzani’s office and the home of the head of the Parastin intelligence agency in Pirmam district at 12:28 a.m., launched from the Iranian side of the border, the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Directorate said. No one was hurt.

Barzani blamed Iran directly, saying his office and the intelligence chief’s home “were targeted by Iranian drone attacks” in what he called “a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region.” Region President Nechirvan Barzani called on the federal government to meet its constitutional responsibility to prevent such attacks, Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also blamed Iran, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s political bureau urged Baghdad to act quickly.