Attack on Italian military base in Erbil: Rome declares highest alert level

An Italian military base in Erbil, Iraq, was attacked on March 12, 2026, which Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described as a deliberate attack. At the time of the incident, 141 Italian soldiers were present at the facility and were immediately evacuated to shelters in accordance with safety procedures. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is closely monitoring developments in the region, maintaining constant contact with operational command. Authorities in Rome have already taken initial diplomatic steps, deciding to preemptively reduce the number of staff at the embassy in Iraq.

The base commander described the course of events, pointing to dramatic moments just before the impact. After alarm systems were activated and sirens sounded, military personnel moved to bunkers, followed by a powerful explosion and a fire. . „A Erbil un attacco deliberato” (A deliberate attack in Erbil) — Guido Crosetto via ANSA Despite the gravity of the situation, the defense minister noted that the return of the soldiers currently stationed there to their home country had been planned earlier, independently of the recent incident. The threat level in Erbil remains high, and technical services are assessing the extent of damage to the base's infrastructure.

141 (soldiers) — number of Italian military personnel in Erbil Timeline of the attack in Erbil: March 12 — Attack on the base; March 12 — Explosion; March 12 — Rome's response The Italian armed forces maintain a constant presence in Iraq as part of international missions, but the current escalation has forced a revision of security protocols for all facilities in the country.

The attack in Erbil fits into the history of tragic incidents targeting Italian foreign missions. The bloodiest of these was the 2003 bombing in Nassiriya, where 19 Italians, including carabinieri and soldiers, were killed by a truck bomb. Another significant event was the 2010 attack in Gulistan, Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of four Italian soldiers. Italy has been engaged in stabilizing the Middle East for years, which exposes its personnel to actions by paramilitary groups operating in the region. The decision to withdraw part of the contingent from Erbil had been prepared before the attack, which is intended to facilitate the logistical security of the soldiers' return under conditions of heightened risk.