Multiple missiles fired at U.S. consulate in Erbil, Iraq

By Calley Hair
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March 12 (UPI) -- Multiple missiles were fired late Saturday toward the U.S. consulate and a news station in Erbil, the autonomous Kurdish region in northwestern Iraq.

Five explosions could be heard during the attack, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. The INA's account was corroborated by photos and videos posted to social media showing the explosions.

The target of the attack is unclear. Omed Khoshnaw, Erbil's governor, said that multiple missiles fell in the area and it's unclear whether the target was the U.S. consulate or the Erbil International Airport, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The station of local news channel Kurdistan 24 was also damaged in the attack. A photo posted to Twitter by Barzan Sadiq, one of the station's reporters, depicted fallen debris on the studio floor.

The health minister of Kurdistan stated that there were no injuries or deaths reported in the attacks, according to Arabic television news channel Al Arabiya.

In a written statement reported by Kurdistan 24, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Masrour Barzani said Saturday night that he "strongly condemns" the attacks.

"We won't bow for the cowards. I strongly condemn tonight's multiple attacks on Erbil, and ask the civilians to follow the instructions of the security forces," Barzani said.

No entity has claimed responsibility for the attack, though independent open-source intelligence accounts shared videos allegedly captured by Iranian civilians showing missiles being fired from Iran at the time of the attack, the Jerusalem Post reported.

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