Iraqi Kurds Fear Escalation of Iran-Backed Rocket Attacks

WASHINGTON - Iraqi Kurds, who played a key role in the fighting against the Islamic State terror group, are now concerned about a new threat: Iranian-backed Shiite militias.

In recent weeks, the autonomous Kurdistan Region has witnessed several rocket and drone attacks targeting bases that house U.S. and foreign troops. The attacks killed at least one contractor and a Turkish soldier and wounded several others. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani last week to reaffirm Washington's "commitment to the stability of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region," according to a statement by the U.S. State Department. "The Secretary discussed the continued attacks on Iraqi, U.S., and Coalition forces, including the April 14 attack on the Erbil International Airport," the statement said. "The Secretary and Prime Minister agreed that these attacks represent an egregious violation of Iraqi sovereignty."