The International Coalition announced the killing of a civilian contractor and wounding 6, including an American soldier, in missile strikes Monday night targeting Erbil airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

While the provincial authorities announced that they had found the vehicle from which the missiles were launched, Washington pledged to support the investigation and hold accountable those responsible for the attack.

Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that one of the missiles that targeted the airport landed in the old airport, which led to the outbreak of a fire that was controlled.

As for the other two missiles, they were diverted by anti-aircraft missiles belonging to the headquarters of the International Coalition at the airport.

He added that the US consulate sounded sirens after the airport was targeted.

The Ministry of Health in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq said that 3 people - one of whom was a guard of a foreign consulate - were wounded in the attack.

The spokesman for the coalition, Colonel Wayne Marotto - confirmed to the French Press Agency - that the contractor who was killed was not an Iraqi, but he did not give details about his nationality.

A US official said that the 107 mm rockets were launched from an area located about 8 km west of Erbil.

In the context, the authorities revealed that the anti-terrorist forces in the Kurdistan region of Iraq had found the vehicle from which the missiles were launched at the airport.

A source in the provincial police stated that air traffic was stopped at the airport due to the missile attack, and said that the police and security forces were deployed in the vicinity of the airport, fearing further attacks, and to verify the damage of the attack.

The Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Police said that air traffic at the airport stopped due to the attack (agencies)

Reactions

Iraqi President Barham Salih described the attack as a dangerous escalation and a criminal terrorist act targeting national efforts to protect the country's security and the safety of citizens.

He said that there is no choice but to strengthen efforts to root out the forces of terrorism and attempts to plunge the country into chaos.

He described what was happening as a battle of the state and sovereignty against terrorism and outlaws.

For its part, American media quoted a White House spokesman as saying that US President Joe Biden had been informed of the missile attack on Erbil airport.

In turn, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken - in a phone call with the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani - expressed his country's anger at the attack, and added - in a statement - that he pledged to provide his country's support to investigate the attack and hold those responsible accountable.

For his part, Barzani said that he urged Minister Blinken to support the joint investigation of the regional government and the federal government to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

A group calling itself the "Awliya al-Dam Brigades" claimed the missile attack on Erbil.

It is noteworthy that Erbil airport was previously targeted by 6 missiles last September without causing any casualties, and no party has adopted the bombing, but the Kurdistan Region authorities accused the Popular Mobilization factions of the Iraqi army of responsibility for the attack.