Iraq: Gunmen Open Fire, Enter Irbil Governorate Building in Kurdish Region

Local Editor

Gunmen entered the governorate building in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] in northern Iraq on Monday and began firing from windows at Kurdish security forces, according to deputy governor of the city and Kurdish security officials.

Security forces cleared the streets around the building, located in the busy city center.

“At around 7:45 am two gunmen approached the entrance of the governorate and opened fire at the guards. They managed to enter and now they are on the third floor,” said the deputy governor, Tahir Abdullah.

“Security forces have surrounded the building and entered the ground floor, preparing to attack the assailants.”

The gunmen seized weapons from the guards.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack.

Such attacks are rare in Irbil, one of the most stable cities in Iraq.

Daesh [the Arabic acronym for terrorist ‘ISIS/ISIL’ group], which has been largely defeated in Iraq, has carried out bombings in Irbil in the past. The Takfiri group targeted Kurdish forces and civilians in recent years.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team