Al-Qaeda claims Iraq Kurd attack
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 7 October 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Al-Qaeda claims Iraq Kurd attack, 7 October 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5261046f12.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 07, 2013
An Al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for an attack in Iraq's northern semiautonomous Kurdish region. At least six people were killed in September when fighters tried to storm the headquarters of the security services in the regional capital, Irbil.
In a statement posted on the Internet on October 7, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant said it had carried out the September attack in response to threats by regional President Masud Barzani, whom the group described as a "criminal apostate."
The authenticity of the Internet statement could not be independently confirmed.
In August, Barzani expressed readiness to support fellow Kurds fighting Islamists in neighboring Syria.
Iraq's Kurdish region has been relatively peaceful since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, compared to the rest of the country.
With reporting by AP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website