Erbil Department of Police announced on Sunday the arrest of 16 people in connection with a recent assault that targeted a bus carrying Iraqi tourists in Erbil.
On the evening of New Year, a group of youngsters assaulted a bus outside the FamilyMall in central Erbil, reportedly causing damages to the vehicle and panic among the Iraqi tourists on board.
Erbil police said in a statement that 16 people are now under custody over the incident and they will soon appear before a judge.
The statement also invited “all those affected” by the assault to visit the police and file a complaint.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani soon after the attack issued a statement to condemn it and say that “they are contrary to our standards and values.”
“The Kurdistan Region continues to be a safe haven for millions of refugees and displaced persons from Iraq and neighboring countries and welcomes tourists across the world without discrimination,” he pointed out.
Elsewhere in Akre, Duhok province, a similar assault was reported, which local officials said was by “a group of children”.
"Every year, Kurdistan embraces hundreds of thousands of tourists. The assaults in recent days are wholly at odds with our well-known culture of peaceful coexistence and tolerance, and I reaffirm our commitment to hold accountable to the fullest extent of the law any individual or side trying to undermine it,” PM Barzani added in his statement.
On the evening of New Year, a group of youngsters assaulted a bus outside the FamilyMall in central Erbil, reportedly causing damages to the vehicle and panic among the Iraqi tourists on board.
Erbil police said in a statement that 16 people are now under custody over the incident and they will soon appear before a judge.
The statement also invited “all those affected” by the assault to visit the police and file a complaint.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani soon after the attack issued a statement to condemn it and say that “they are contrary to our standards and values.”
“The Kurdistan Region continues to be a safe haven for millions of refugees and displaced persons from Iraq and neighboring countries and welcomes tourists across the world without discrimination,” he pointed out.
Elsewhere in Akre, Duhok province, a similar assault was reported, which local officials said was by “a group of children”.
"Every year, Kurdistan embraces hundreds of thousands of tourists. The assaults in recent days are wholly at odds with our well-known culture of peaceful coexistence and tolerance, and I reaffirm our commitment to hold accountable to the fullest extent of the law any individual or side trying to undermine it,” PM Barzani added in his statement.
