Drone crashes in Sulaymaniyah’s Penjwin district

SULAYMANIYAH – A drone crashed in the Penjwin district of Sulaymaniyah governorate early Tuesday morning, with no reported damage, according to Hemin Ibrahim, mayor of Penjwin, a city near the Iranian border. He confirmed the incident to 964media, stating that the drone came down in a rural area outside the town at around six a.m.

“A drone crashed in the outskirts of Penjwin at six a.m.,” Ibrahim said, adding that authorities are still investigating the drone’s origin and ownership. So far, no clear information has emerged regarding its source.

Preliminary investigations revealed no damage from the crash. Photos from the site suggest the drone might be a Shahed 136, an Iranian-made loitering munition also known as a “suicide drone.” This type of drone, with a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, is designed to crash into targets and overwhelm air defenses, and has been used in various conflicts, including by Iranian-backed forces in the Middle East and by Russia during the Ukraine conflict, where it is called Geran-2.

This incident follows a similar one on Aug. 1, when a Turkish drone was downed in the nearby Lerê Mountain, sparking concerns in the area. Since then, Penjwin residents have reported fewer drone sightings. The Turkish military operates in this region, often targeting PKK positions.