Kurdish leaders commemorate Erbil terror attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region's leaders on Saturday commemorated the 21st anniversary of a bloody terror attack in Erbil that killed 101 people, emphasizing unity in their messages. 

"We must make this anniversary and remembrance of this terrorist crime an opportunity for self-examination and the foundation for strengthening our brotherhood, unity and common destiny,"

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement.

On February 1, 2004, twin suicide bombings rocked the Erbil offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) as party officials were welcoming guests for Eid al-Adha.

The bombings were carried out by Islamist terrorists, killing 101 people and injuring another 246.

The tragedy is remembered annually at a monument in Erbil's Sami Abdulrahman Park, which is named after the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) deputy prime minister who was killed in the blasts. 

"Today, we honor the martyrs and reaffirm the importance of unity in the face of adversity and tyranny," said Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on X. 

He attended the ceremony in Erbil.

Representatives of foreign missions also attended the event, laying flowers at the monument that lists the names of the victims. 

"February 1 will forever remain in our historical memory as a symbol of our common destiny and unity," Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said on Facebook.