French President Emmanuel Macron has “strongly” condemned the drone attack carried out today targeting the residence of Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok, reaffirming his country’s support for both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
This came during a phone call Barzani received on Saturday from Macron, who also extended his condolences for the victims of the Iranian missile attack in Soran on the 24th of this month, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. The two leaders discussed the developments of the war and its repercussions, emphasizing the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts to bring it to an end. For his part, Barzani expressed his gratitude for France’s support and its positions regarding Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
In a related context, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani expressed his denunciation and rejection of the “brutal targeting” of Barzani’s residence, praising his “national stances and his commitment to strengthening unity among all Iraqis,” during a phone call between them on the same day.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Media Office explained that the call touched upon the developments in Iraq and the region, security aspects, and ways to enhance stability. The statement added that al-Sudani directed the “formation of a joint security and technical team from the security agencies of the federal government and the regional government to investigate the incident, identify the perpetrators, and take the necessary legal measures against them.”
Al-Sudani stressed the government’s commitment to “preventing any outlaw, regional, or international entity from dragging Iraq into the ongoing conflict in the region,” affirming that “all integrated efforts are being exerted to secure Iraq’s sovereignty, security, and stability.”
Politically, the leader of the National Wisdom Movement (Hikma), Ammar al-Hakim, condemned the “sinful assault,” considering it a “dangerous act that threatens Iraq’s security and stability and violates its national sovereignty,” according to a post on the X platform.
Similarly, the Azm Alliance expressed its condemnation of the “assault” in a statement on Saturday, describing it as a “serious transgression that threatens the country’s security and stability and undermines de-escalation efforts.” The alliance stressed the necessity of “uncovering the circumstances of the incident and holding the responsible parties accountable according to the law,” emphasizing the importance of enhancing coordination between the federal government and the regional government to prevent Iraq from being embroiled in regional conflicts.
Furthermore, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc in the Iraqi Parliament condemned “in the strongest terms the illegal and cowardly attack” targeting Barzani’s home and other areas in Duhok. The bloc noted that “these assaults are part of a series of attacks aimed at destabilizing security, stability, and spreading chaos.” It asserted that “such attempts will not undermine the will of the people of Kurdistan to preserve their constitutional entity,” calling for urgent action to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Security sources reported that a booby-trapped drone crashed near Barzani’s residence, resulting in an explosion and fire, while air defenses managed to shoot down another drone before it reached its target. These incidents are part of a series of targetings that have struck various areas in the Region over the past few hours.
Read the Arabic version: Click here
