Iran launched a drone attack on the Kurdish region of northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing nine people while claiming the assault was retaliation for the ethnic group stoking protests that have roiled the Islamic Republic.
The US downed one of the drones because it posed a threat to American forces in the region, US Central Command said in a statement that condemned the “indiscriminate” attacks against “innocent civilians.”
“No US forces were wounded or killed as a result of the strikes and there is no damage to US equipment,” added CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the region.
Widespread unrest broke out in Iran in the wake of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who was killed Sept. 16 while in the custody of the country’s morality police for improperly wearing her hijab.
The Iranian government has cracked down harshly on the demonstrations, killing scores of protesters, blacking out internet service and restricting social media sites like WhatsApp and Instagram.
Iran’s drone attack killed nine people. AFP via Getty Images/ Safin Hamed
Iran’s bombing campaign targeted a military camp, homes and offices in the city of Koya, about 35 miles east of Irbil, said Soran Nuri, a member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
The opposition group, known by the acronym KDPI, is banned in Iran.
In addition to the nine people killed, 32 others were wounded and Kurdish officials feared the death toll could rise due to the number of people people hospitalized in critical condition.
A pregnant woman was among those killed, Koya Mayor Tariq Haidari said.
Previous 1 of 5 Next The US downed one of Iran’s drones because it posed a threat to American forces. No US forces were wounded or killed as a result of the strikes. Iran’s bombing campaign targeted a military camp, homes and offices in the city of Koya. Nearly 32 people were injured from the attack. Members of exiled Komala Party inspect the aftermath of the bombing in the village of Zrgoiz.
State-run media in Iran said that the country’s Revolutionary Guard targeted the militia’s bases in Iraq with “precision missiles” and “suicide drones.”
The Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s elite military force, said the strikes would continue against what it called a terror outfit.
“This operation will continue with our full determination until the threat is effectively repelled, terrorist group bases are dismantled, and the authorities of the Kurdish region assume their obligations and responsibilities,” the Guard said in a statement.
Guard Gen. Hasan Hasanzadeh, according to Iranian media, said about 185 members of the Basij volunteer paramilitary force were injured by “machete and knife” during the protests in Iran.
Smoke billows in the village of Zrgoiz, near Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, where the bases of several Iranian opposition groups are located. AP/Ala Hoshyar, Metrography
He also said rioters broke the skull of one of the Basij and another five ended up in the hospital in intensive care.
The White House joined Iran’s foreign ministry and the Kurdistan Regional Government to condemn the strikes.
”Iranian leaders continue to demonstrate flagrant disregard not only for the lives of their own people, but also for their neighbors and the core principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter,” US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement released by the White House.
“Iran cannot deflect blame from its internal problems and the legitimate grievances of its population with attacks across its borders,” Sullivan added.
A spokesman for Iraq’s foreign ministry said the government is expected to summon the Iranian ambassador to lodge a formal complaint.
With Post wires
US downs Iran drone as Tehran targets Iraq Kurds over violent protests
