Six Peshmerga Killed, Dozens Wounded as Attacks on the Kurdistan Region Escalate

A missile attack has killed six Peshmerga fighters and wounded at least 22 others in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, marking one of the deadliest single strikes against Kurdish forces since the broader conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28.

Officials in Erbil's Soran administration confirmed that Division 7 of the Peshmerga forces was struck, killing five fighters and injuring nearly 19 others. The Peshmerga Command Area One said the headquarters of Division 7 was hit twice, first at 1:50 a.m. with five missiles and again at 2:50 a.m. with one missile. Iran or Iranian-backed proxy forces operating under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) are widely believed to be responsible.

The attack is the latest in a relentless campaign against a region that has maintained strict neutrality throughout the conflict. According to Rudaw's tracking, the Kurdistan Region has come under more than 352 drone and missile attacks since the war began, with 290 targeting Erbil and surrounding areas, 55 aimed at Sulaimani, five striking Duhok province, and two directed toward border areas in Halabja province.

The toll on civilians and security forces has been mounting steadily. Beyond Peshmerga casualties, civilian infrastructure including residential buildings, schools, medical centers, and libraries has also been struck. Energy infrastructure has not been spared either. The Khor Mor gas field halted gas supplies to power stations in the Kurdistan Region over fears of being targeted, leading to widespread electricity blackouts.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has forcefully condemned the attacks and demanded accountability. Barzani called on the federal government and parliament in Baghdad to take a clear position and set limits on the perpetrators, warning that the attacks carry no justification and are driven by hostility and hatred toward Kurdistan and its people. He added that the groups carrying out these acts are still being funded by the government in Baghdad and are receiving salaries and weapons. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government has also pushed back through official channels. The KRG Department of Foreign Relations strongly condemned the attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing that the Kurdistan Region is not a party to this conflict and has consistently advocated for peace, stability, and coexistence. 

The international community has taken notice. France condemned the attacks as "unjustified," warning that they threaten the stability and security of the Region even as it has maintained neutrality in the ongoing conflict. A French soldier was also killed and several others wounded in a drone attack on a Peshmerga base in Erbil province, a strike that French President Emmanuel Macron publicly confirmed. 

As the human and economic cost continues to climb, Kurdish leaders are growing increasingly impatient. Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani warned the federal Iraqi government to take "serious" steps to stop the assaults by Shiite militias, stating that "restraint also has its limits." 

The Kurdistan Region now finds itself absorbing the consequences of a war it chose no part in, with its people, soldiers, and infrastructure paying a price that grows heavier by the day.