On the afternoon of January 4-5, 2005, around 1:30 AM, American forces besieged the Saidawa quarter in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, under the pretext of capturing an alleged "terrorist" in the area. Helicopters, supported by aircraft, began firing on the quarter with heavy guns. Eventually, a missile from one of the helicopters struck a student housing building, home to about 130 students from Salahaddin University, injuring several and setting the building on fire.

The American soldiers did not allow the Kurdish police to approach the area. The Kurdish authorities condemned the attack, with the Minister of Interior denying the presence of any "terrorists" in the area. The local population widely condemned the act.

This attack reflects the American treatment of Iraqis in the middle and southern regions: a small suspicion or the mere presence of one "terrorist" is used as justification to destroy entire neighborhoods. The Americans' actions are worse than those of Genghis Khan and his Mongol hordes, particularly Hulago, who killed hundreds of thousands after his conquest of Baghdad in the 13th century. The recent crime in Erbil evokes memories of Hulago's brutal invasion.