BAGHDAD, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi presidency on Tuesday strongly condemned a series of attacks targeting the country's security forces in several provinces, describing them as a "flagrant violation" of national sovereignty.

A presidency statement mourned the death of the Anbar Operations commander of Iraq's paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and several other PMF members following strikes on the PMF's command in western Anbar province.

"These attacks represent a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty and a serious threat to its security and stability," the statement said.

The presidency urged all political parties to adopt responsible positions and measures to protect Iraq from being dragged into the abyss of war and conflict.

In a separate statement, the presidency denounced the shelling of the Iraqi Kurdish military forces, known as the Peshmerga, which resulted in several casualties among the members.

The Peshmerga remains a "fundamental pillar of Iraq's national defense system" and has played an honorable role in confronting terrorism and reinforcing security, the presidency said.

The PMF is widely seen as an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization backed by Iran, while the Peshmerga is the internal security force of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region known for its strong ties with the United States.

Six Peshmerga members were killed and 30 others injured early Tuesday when Iranian ballistic missiles struck military positions in northern Iraq's Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region, local authorities said.

Meanwhile, a U.S. airstrike killed 15 PMF members, including a senior commander in Anbar province, a security source told Xinhua.

According to an official statement published late Tuesday, the Iraqi foreign ministry summoned both the Iranian ambassador and the U.S. charge d'affaires to Baghdad to deliver formal protests regarding the two deadly strikes.

The attacks came amid heightened regional tensions following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran starting on Feb. 28, to which Iran and its regional allies have responded with attacks on Israeli and U.S. interests across the Middle East.