Thousands of residents in the Sheikhan district of Duhok province took to the streets on Wednesday to condemn the Iranian ballistic missile attacks that occurred on January 15. The attacks targeted a private residence, resulting in the tragic death of at least four civilians, including Kurdish construction tycoon Peshraw Dizayee, his less-than-a-year-old daughter, a guest, and a housekeeper. Six others were wounded in the assault.

Members of various faith groups and segments of society participated in the mass gatherings, waving the Kurdistan Region flag and holding photos of the victims. The protesters called for an end to what they described as repeated violations in the Kurdish region.

Mala Saeed, an Islamic preacher from Sheikhan, declared, "Those who are killed in defense of their homelands are considered martyrs." One anonymous protester expressed resilience, stating, "They can kill us, but they cannot break our will."

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that the targeted site was a "Mossad espionage center," referring to the Israeli intelligence agency. However, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) vehemently rejected these allegations as "baseless." Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassem Al-Araji and an Iraqi parliamentary investigation team also asserted that the attacked location was a "family residence," dismissing the IRGC's claims.

Human Rights Watch, in a statement on Monday, refuted Iran's assertions, confirming that the attack had solely targeted civilians in the house. This is not the first instance of Iran targeting private residences of Kurdish businessmen through ballistic missiles. In early 2022, a similar attack was launched on the mansion of Sheikh Baz, an oil tycoon, with Iran alleging it to be a "Mossad spy center." The claims were widely rejected by the KRG and the Iraqi government, leading to international condemnation of the attack.

Protests have also taken place in Erbil, Duhok, Zakho, and Sulaimani, echoing the condemnation of the deadly attacks. The Kurdish community continues to demand justice and an end to such acts of violence in the region.