UN Condemns Airstrike On Erbil Airport In Iraqi Kurdistan - Special Representative

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th April, 2021) The United Nations has condemned the recent airstrike on the international airport of Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan as an action endangering Iraq's stability, Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said on Thursday.

A source in the Iraqi security services told Sputnik on Wednesday that a missile struck near the Erbil airport. The regional ministry of the interior, in turn, said the strike was carried out by a drone. The attack did not result in any casualties.

"Last night's events in the Kurdistan Region are another example of reckless attempts to inflame tensions and threaten Iraq's stability. We condemn these acts of violence and urge the Federal and Kurdistan governments to act swiftly and in unison to prevent further escalation," Hennis-Plasschaert wrote on Twitter.

According to Sputnik's sources, apart from the airport, Turkey's Bashiqa military camp in northern Iraq was hit by a missile airstrike on Wednesday. According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, one serviceman died as a result of the attack.

In mid-February, a dozen rockets hit the Erbil air base, killing a civilian contractor and injuring nine others, including a US serviceman. A small Shiite militant group reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani called on the United Nations and the UN Security Council to step up efforts for protecting the civilian population.