Iraqi intelligence summons senior officer over comments on downed Turkish drone

BAGHDAD — Iraqi intelligence has summoned Brigadier General Abdul Salam Al-Hamoudi, Deputy Commander of Air Defense for the Northern Region, for questioning after he made “unauthorized comments” to the media about the downing of a Turkish drone over Kirkuk on August 29, a senior military source told 964media.

Al-Hamoudi’s remarks were made shortly after the incident last Thursday, when a Turkish drone was reportedly shot down by Iraqi air defenses over Kirkuk. Present at the scene, Al-Hamoudi told several media outlets that “a Turkish drone violated Iraqi airspace from the direction of Sulaymaniyah. On the orders of the Commander of Air Defense, we deployed Iraqi weapons to shoot it down.”

However, Iraq has not officially taken responsibility for the incident. The Joint Operations Command announced that it is investigating the matter but has not confirmed the downing of the drone, contrasting with Al-Hamoudi’s comments.

“The decision to summon Al-Hamoudi for questioning was made for two reasons,” the military source told 964media. “Firstly, he was not authorized to speak on the matter, and secondly, the Joint Operations Command, the Ministry of Defense, and the Army Chief of Staff had all refrained from making any official statements regarding the incident.”

Al-Hamoudi’s comments have complicated the situation for the Iraqi military and government, which are seeking to de-escalate tensions with Turkey amid ongoing discussions to strengthen economic, commercial, and military relations. Baghdad and Ankara are reportedly discussing the establishment of a joint operations center in the Iraqi capital to coordinate military efforts in the region.

At the time, local authorities confirmed that the Iraqi army had downed the drone. Amr Shwani, spokesperson for the Kirkuk Police Command, told 964media that “an unidentified drone entered Iraqi airspace and was intercepted on the outskirts of Kirkuk, crashing in the Ts’in neighborhood. One house sustained material damage, but no casualties were reported.”

The Turkish government, like Iraq’s, has remained tight-lipped on the matter. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli shared the Iraqi military statement on X (formerly Twitter) and noted, “Coordination has been established with Iraqi authorities to shed light on all details of the incident.” Keceli did not confirm whether the drone was Turkish, stating only that “Turkey continues its fight against the terrorist organization nestled in Iraqi territory,” referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

Baghdad and Ankara have been enhancing their cooperation on multiple fronts, particularly in security and the fight against the PKK. On August 15, both sides signed a memorandum of understanding on military cooperation and combating terrorism, which Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein described as “a qualitative addition to our bilateral relations and an affirmation of our joint commitment to peace and stability in the region.”

In recent months, Turkish military operations targeting the PKK have intensified in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in areas like the Amedi district of Duhok. These operations have resulted in numerous casualties and significant environmental damage across rural and mountainous regions.