ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – An Iraqi military spokesperson on Saturday rejected a statement by the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) interior ministry which alleged the involvement of groups linked to the Popular Mobilization Movement (PMF) in the recent surge in aerial attacks on the Region, describing the accusations as “unacceptable”.

In a statement late Friday, the KRG’s interior ministry denied reports by Iran-affiliated media claiming that an alleged Israeli base in Erbil was the target of a Thursday attack, calling them “far from the truth,” and accusing the groups affiliated with the state-linked PMF of being behind the recent aerial attacks.

“The accusation issued by the KRG Ministry of Interior against an official Iraqi security institution is unacceptable, condemned, and unacceptable under any pretext, especially since it was issued in the absence of evidence, which we demand be presented to official government agencies, if available,” read a statement from Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces.

The PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi was formed upon a call by Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani soon after the Islamic State (ISIS) took over large swathes of territory in Iraq. The force has been officially incorporated into the regular Iraqi defense forces, enjoying similar privileges as the Iraqi army do.

Many PMF groups are backed by Iran.

“The federal government, with its security institutions, has affirmed on more than one occasion that it has not and will not compromise at the expense of the people of a united Iraq and their security, and that it will not hesitate to take strict legal action against any party that attempts to undermine stability or disrupt security throughout Iraq,” Numan added.

The Iraqi military spokesperson emphasized the need for cooperation and coordination through official channels to confront current challenges, rather than resorting to public statements which “provide hostile parties with justifications to undermine Iraq's stability.”

A string of aerial attacks by unidentified actors have targeted the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk over the past week, coming days after the declaration of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

“These attacks are carried out by some groups belonging to PMF with the intention of causing chaos and the relevant parties in the federal government should put a limit on these destructive acts and take legal action against the perpetrators,” read the KRG interior ministry statement on Friday.

Since 2022, Iran and its proxies have carried out several attacks on the Kurdistan Region under the pretext of targeting bases of Israeli intelligence (Mossad). Erbil has repeatedly denied the presence of Israeli bases in the Region.