Iran attacks alleged Israeli ‘espionage centers’ in Erbil
The Word | Jan. 15, 2023 | Updated 22:37 EST
Iran said its Revolutionary Guards attacked Israeli “espionage headquarters” in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region early Tuesday morning. The strikes reportedly fell near the U.S. consulate in Erbil, though the U.S. said in a statement no American facilities were targeted or personnel harmed.
Multiple local outlets, including Rudaw and Ankawa Today, report an Assyrian man by the name of Karam Mikhael is among victims of the strikes.
The Word could not independently verify the report.
The strikes in and around Erbil have killed at least four, according to the Kurdistan Region’s security service.
The Assyrian Democratic Movement issued a statement condemning the attacks, saying it “rejects turning Iraq and the Kurdistan Region into
battleground for settling international political scores.”
The attacks come amid heightened tensions and a spike in targeting of U.S. facilities in Iraq and Syria by Iran-aligned militias since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October.
This is a developing story.