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Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said Monday that Iranian drones targeted his private office and the residence of a senior Kurdish Region security official in Erbil province, describing the strikes as a “dangerous escalation” and a direct threat to the region’s security and stability.
Barzani said in posts on X that information and investigations conducted by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism authorities had confirmed that the two sites were targeted in drone attacks from Iran earlier on Monday.
“Following an investigation by the Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism Unit, my personal office and the home of the head of the Security and Intelligence Agency were targeted by Iranian drone attacks earlier today,” Barzani said.
Other versions of his statement identified the second target as the residence of the head, president, or director general of the Parastin, or Protection, Agency.
Barzani strongly condemned the attacks, calling them “reckless and unacceptable.”
“This is a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region,” he said.
The prime minister added that the attacks would not deter Kurdish authorities from continuing their responsibilities.
“These attacks will not deter us from carrying out our duties and protecting our citizens,” Barzani said.
Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism said two explosive-laden drones struck the headquarters of Barzani’s private office and the residence of the director of the Protection Agency in the Pirmam District of Erbil Province.
According to the agency, the attack took place at about 12:28 a.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 17.
The agency identified the aircraft as “Hadid-110” drones and said they had been launched from across the Iranian border toward the two targets.
No casualties were reported.
An earlier statement from the Kurdish Regional Government’s security agency also said two drones had attacked the KRG prime minister’s office and that the strikes had originated from Iranian territory.
Barzani said the findings of the Counter-Terrorism Directorate confirmed that both his office and the security official’s residence were subjected to what he described as Iranian drone attacks.
He condemned the strikes “in the strongest terms,” describing them as illegitimate, reckless, and unacceptable.
Barzani said the incident represented more than an attack on individual sites, characterizing it as a threat to the wider Kurdish region.
“I affirm that they constitute a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the region,” he said in one version of the statement.
He also stressed that the attacks would not change the regional authorities’ course.
“Such attacks will never deter us from continuing to carry out our duties and protecting our citizens,” Barzani said.
Kurdistan Counter-Terrorism separately condemned the drone strikes and described them as acts of aggression.
“We condemn these attacks and acts of aggression in the strongest terms,” the agency said.
“Such actions are completely unacceptable, and the perpetrators bear full responsibility for their consequences.”
The agency said its information showed that both explosive-laden drones crossed from the Iranian side of the border before targeting the two locations in Pirmam.
Despite the strikes on the prime minister’s private office and the senior security official’s residence, authorities reported no human casualties.
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