Italian Base in Iraqi Kurdistan Hit by Missile, Defence Ministry Says

ROME, March 12 (Reuters) – ⁠An ⁠Italian military ⁠base in Iraqi Kurdistan was ​struck by a missile overnight ‌though no injuries ‌were reported, the ⁠Italian ⁠defence ministry said on Thursday.

“A missile hit our ​base in Erbil. There are no casualties or injuries ​among the Italian personnel. They are ⁠all ⁠fine,” the ministry ⁠said ​on X shortly after midnight on Thursday.

Defence ​Minister ⁠Guido Crosetto has been in constant contact with senior military commanders over the ⁠incident, the ministry added.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani ⁠said in a separate message on X that Italian military personnel had taken shelter in a bunker and all were “well and safe”.

Italy has around 300 troops in ⁠Erbil, working on training Kurdish security forces, the defence ministry said on its website.

(Reporting ​by Alvise Armellini; Editing ​by Jacqueline Wong)

Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

Photos You Should See – March 2026

TOPSHOT - Children play around an unexploded missile that landed in an open field on the outskirts of Qamishli, eastern Syria, on March 5, 2026. Gulf countries have been targeted by repeated waves of Iranian drone and missile attacks in retaliation for the massive US-Israeli air campaign. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP via Getty Images)

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