Barzani says some drones targeting Erbil were launched from Nineveh

ERBIL, Iraq — Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Monday that some of the drones targeting Erbil were launched from Nineveh province, with several sent from the direction of Mosul. Speaking at a press conference in Erbil, he said recent attacks on the region had originated in part from within Iraq. Barzani said the Kurdistan Region has made extensive efforts to secure air defense systems, reaching out to several countries and appealing to the federal government in Baghdad. He said the region has so far failed to acquire such systems, not because they were not requested but because it has not been permitted to obtain them. The prime minister said the region's priority extends beyond acquiring defense equipment, and includes addressing the root causes of the attacks to prevent them. He said the federal government bears responsibility for blocking the sources of threats targeting the region and for preventing armed groups from operating there. Barzani added that the security of the Kurdistan Region directly affects the security of Iraq as a whole.