Sulaimani CT says three members killed in drone strike

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Sulaimani-based counter-terrorism directorate on Monday announced that three of its members were killed in an unidentified drone strike which targeted the Arbat airport, 27 kilometers southeast of Sulaimani.

Three other members were also wounded in the attack, according to a statement from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)-affiliated force. The group announced that they have launched an investigation into the attack, vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice, without explicitly pointing the finger at any parties.

PUK leader Bafel Talabani condemned the "terrorist attack" on Arbat airport, calling it "a part of the conspiracy aimed at disturbing the peace and stability of the Kurdistan Region."

The PUK leader called on the Iraqi federal government to fulfill its duty to protect the country's territory and airspace, including the Kurdistan Region, from such violations. He also urged the the international community to take a stance against the "terrorist acts."

"We, Kurds, who have been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism in recent years and have made great sacrifices, cannot be targeted by such terrorist acts," said Bafel Talabani.

The airport acts as a counter-terrorism training camp. In July, Bafel Talabani attended a military showcase of the counter-terrorism force at the airport.

Kurdistan Region’s Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also denounced the attack, calling on the Iraqi federal government to scale up efforts to prevent the repetition of such “violations”.

“There is no excuse for carrying out such attacks on a valiant Kurdistan force whose duty is to protect the security and stability of Kurdistan and have had an essential role in combating terror in the region,” read a statement from the deputy PM.

Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir also condemned the attack against Arbat airport, labelling it as a "violation".

The governor called on countries of the region to respect Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s sovereignty, and urged Erbil and Baghdad to resolve “internal disputes” to spare the country from regional conflicts.

Turkey has recently intensified its targeting of areas in Sulaimani province on the grounds of attacking the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters.

No parties or officials have explicitly accused Turkey of the Arbat attack, and Ankara has yet to comment on the incident as of the writing of this piece.

A flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport by Turkey has been in place since April 3. The Turkish foreign ministry has said that the ban, which is to remain in effect until January, is related to the alleged “intensification” of PKK activity in Sulaimani.