Finland "condemns" the missile attacks carried out last night by Iran against two air bases in Iraq (one is located in Ain Al Asad, in the west of the country, and the other one in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan) in which US soldiers are deployed.
According to the Tehran Government, the attacks are in response to the killing last Friday in Baghdad of the powerful Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, which raised the tension in the region.
Finland, which has troops in peacekeeping mission in Erbil, on Tuesday called to reduce tension in the region. But its call, as those made by other European states, were in vain. Just a few hours later, Iran carried out the attack by launching 22 missiles.
In a statement, Finnish president Sauli Niinistö condemned those attacks, which -he said- "also targeted the peace-keeping troops in the region". Niinistö also said that the international community must now do "everything possible to break the circle of violence."
Niinistö and the Finnish Army confirmed that Finnish personnel in the region are unharmed.
Irakissa tapahtuneisiin iskuihin liittyen: suomalaiset rauhanturvaajat on tavoitettu ja kunnossa. Maavoimat seuraa tilannetta. #kriha #maavoimat #oir
— Maavoimat (@Maavoimat) January 8, 2020
"The Finnish personnel engaged in crisis management operations in the region are safe. Finland stays in close contact with the other countries involved in the operations to assess the implications of the situation," Niinistö said.
Finland expects the Iranian authorities to issue a full report of Iran’s actions.
