BAGHDAD 

Unidentified gunmen on Friday opened fire on the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Iraq's Kurdish region, a police officer said.

"Unidentified gunmen in a car and motorbike fired with machine guns at the headquarters of the Democratic Party in Halabja, Sulaymaniyah province, at dawn today," a police officer told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

"The guards at the headquarters responded to the assailants by firing back at them, which prompted them to flee," the source said, adding no casualties were reported.

Security authorities have opened an investigation into the incident.

Led by Masoud Barzani, KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan are the two ruling parties in the Kurdish region.

The party holds 45 seats in the regional parliament out of 111 and 25 seats in the Iraqi parliament out of 329.

The region has witnessed sporadic protests since last year over the deterioration of living conditions due to financial disputes with Baghdad and the decline in oil prices due to the coronavirus pandemic.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat