UPDATES NUMBER OF INJURED; ADDS IRAQI ARMY STATEMENT
ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – Five Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers were killed on Saturday in an attack by the PKK terror group in Iraq's northern Dohuk province, according to a Kurdish deputy minister.
The fatalities occurred in an ambush set by PKK terrorists in Amadiya district in the province, Serbest Lezgin, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) deputy minister of Peshmerga affairs, said in a statement.
The number of injured Peshmerga soldiers was later updated to seven from four.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani denounced the PKK terrorist attack against the Peshmerga troops, calling for "standing together against this aggression."
"I condemn in the strongest terms the PKK's attack on the Peshmerga today. My thoughts are with the families of the five martyred and the injured." Barzani wrote on Twitter.
For its part, the Iraqi army also condemned the "coward terror attack" in a separate statement.
Spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool said an investigation had been launched into the attack, adding that those threatening the lives and safety of Iraqis would be punished.
Turkey's Consulate General in Erbil condemned the attack on Twitter and expressed sorrow for the reported losses.
"The PKK terrorist organization is the common enemy of both Turkey, Iraq and the KRG," it said, adding that it stood with KRG authorities in the fight against the terror threat.
The PKK attack was also condemned by the British Consul-General in Erbil, James Thornton.
"I condemn the PKK attack on the Peshmerga today that left five dead and several injured, and I send my condolences to the families of the victims," the British envoy tweeted.
The PKK takes the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq as its stronghold and is active in many cities and towns. It occupies a large number of villages in the region and launches attacks on Turkey's interior.
*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara
