Six Peshmerga were killed and 30 Peshmerga were wounded in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday, the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) said.
 
Early on the morning of March 24, 2026, the headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division of the 1st Sector and a force from the 5th Infantry Division of the Peshmerga forces in the Soran border area were targeted in two separate attacks by Iranian ballistic missiles, the MoPA said.
 
"As a result, six heroic Peshmerga were martyred and 30 other Peshmerga were wounded.
 
While we condemn this attack and all other terrorist strikes against the Kurdistan Region in the strongest possible terms, we reaffirm that we possess every right to repel any aggression committed against our people and our land.
 
"We in no way expected the Kurdistan Region's peaceful stance to be met in such a cowardly manner. However, the lifespan of treachery and oppression is short, and the will for peace shall prevail."
 
The MoPA also called on all parties to keep war and turmoil away from the Kurdistan Region, and asked "all our friends not to remain silent regarding these violations and to put an end to this reckless aggression."

Also on Tuesday, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned "the hostile and traitorous attack on Peshmerga bases last night, which resulted in 6 brave Peshmergas being martyred and 30 others wounded.
 
"I offer my condolences to the proud families of the martyrs and wish for recovery for the injured.
 
"We will take all measures to counter this hostility ... I call on the federal government and the international community to put an end to these attacks on the Kurdistan Region."
 
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani also strongly condemned the attack.
 
"The Kurdistan Region has always been a factor of peace and stability. We are committed to a policy of non-involvement and conflict avoidance, and we pose no threat to the security of neighboring countries," President Barzani said in a statement on Tuesday. "Therefore, this attack is a direct hostile aggression against the sovereignty of the country and has no justification and is completely contrary to the principles of good neighborliness.
 
"We call on the Iraqi Federal Government and the international community to intensify their efforts to prevent the repetition of these violations and protect the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region."
 
This is not the first attack on Kurdish Peshmerga forces since the start of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war on February 28.
 
Last Sunday, the MoPA reported that a Peshmerga base in the Chamchamal area had been targeted using an explosive drone.
 
Kamaran Palani, Principal Investigator of the Iraq PeaceRep program at the LSE Middle East Centre, posted on X that "this may be the first instance in which Iranian strikes, whether conducted directly or through proxies in Iraq, have resulted in casualties on this scale.
 
"It could represent a turning point in relations between Iran and the Kurdistan Region, and may further contribute to escalating tensions within Iraq."