DUBAI: Kurdistan 24’s media team came under attack while covering Iranian drone and missile attacks on Iranian-Kurdish opposition parties based in the Kurdistan Region on Sept. 28, according to the broadcaster.
In a statement, the Erbil-based media company said that its correspondent Soran Kamaran was seriously injured, adding: “We reiterate that Kurdistan 24 is continuing its professional coverage of the events. And we hope all sides in the conflict avoid targeting journalists and media workers.”
The cameraman with Kamaran was not hurt, Kurdistan 24’s newsroom manager and anchor, Kovan Izzat, told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). But, Kamaran was taken to a hospital in Erbil, where he underwent two surgeries, Izzat said.
The media watchdog has called on Iran to investigate if journalists are being targeted by Iranian forces.
“Iran’s drone strikes inevitably cause civilian casualties, including those of journalists documenting the attacks,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ’s MENA program coordinator. “Iranian and Kurdish authorities must take serious measures to avoid harming civilians and to hold anyone violating international law accountable.”
The Kurdistan Regional Government also strongly condemned the “repetitive (Iranian) violations of the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region,” reported Kurdistan 24.
At least seven people have been killed and 24 injured as a result of Iran’s attacks, according to Dr. Saman Barzinji, the minister of health for the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq.
On Sept. 28, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said that “rocket diplomacy is a reckless act with devastating consequences,” adding that “these attacks need to cease immediately.”
CPJ could not find a contact for Kamaran’s family immediately. The organization reached out to the Iranian UN mission for comment but has not received a response.
