Baghdad security expert: drone and rocket attacks launched from inside Iraq

BAGHDAD — Iraqi pilot and security expert Ahmed Al-Sharifi said the recent wave of drone and rocket attacks across Iraq, including strikes in Kirkuk and Baiji, originated from within the country.

Speaking to Dijla TV, Al-Sharifi said the munitions used — including Katyusha rockets and mortars — had limited range and could not have been fired from neighboring states. “It would be unreasonable to claim they were launched from across the border — their range simply isn’t sufficient,” he said.

Al-Sharifi added that the rockets used in the Kirkuk International Airport attack were likely poorly maintained, noting that one projectile veered off course and struck a residential home. “That indicates poor storage,” he said. “The tools used were clearly local.”

He also questioned the timing of the attacks, which followed Iraqi military operations against Islamic State targets in the same regions. “Is it reasonable to believe that after these operations, someone could, in less than 24 hours, launch an attack targeting an airport and multiple strategic locations?” he said, adding that the operations appeared politically motivated and carried out by internal actors.

The comments follow a series of drone and rocket attacks reported over the past two days. On Monday night, three rockets struck Kirkuk airport, while a fourth hit a house in the city’s Arouba neighborhood. Fires were reported but no injuries.

In a separate incident early Tuesday, more than 10 unidentified drones flew over the Baiji refinery in Salah Al-Din governorate, prompting anti-aircraft fire from security forces. The drones reportedly withdrew without causing damage.

Authorities also confirmed a drone strike on a school in the Bersiv camp for internally displaced people in Zakho’s Darkar subdistrict and, last night, the crash of two drones in Sulaymaniyah’s Tasluja area.

No casualties were reported in either incident, though several sites sustained material damage.

Excerpts from of  Al-Sharifi’s interview on Dijla TV:

Ahmed Al-Sharifi: There is no doubt that we are facing an extremely dangerous stage, shaped by both regional and international power balances. This is a national issue, and we need to approach it with greater clarity and transparency when addressing developments inside Iraq. In particular, we cannot describe such operations as cross-border, because the assumption that they originated from outside Iraq is highly unlikely.

Host: Why is that?

Ahmed Al-Sharifi: Because there is no interest for a neighboring country to strike multiple targets in this way and with this pattern. Moreover, the tools and means used are clearly local. For example, if mortars were used, it would be unreasonable to claim they were launched from across the border — their range simply isn’t sufficient.

Host: What kind of rockets hit Kirkuk Airport?

Ahmed Al-Sharifi: Katyusha rockets. Even under the best conditions, their range doesn’t exceed ten kilometers. Now imagine if they were poorly stored — as appears to be the case here — some didn’t even reach their intended target and fell short, like the one that hit a house instead of the airport. That indicates poor storage. So the idea that these rockets came from outside Iraq is highly unlikely.”

Host: So the party that targeted these locations in Iraq is an internal one?

Ahmed Al-Sharifi: An internal actor, definitely. Let me explain — just yesterday we carried out strikes against ISIS in areas that tomorrow could pose a threat to Kirkuk. An F-16 sortie alone costs between $50,000 and $70,000, not to mention that an entire airbase is placed on alert just for a single pilot to take off. Is it reasonable to believe that after these operations, ISIS could, in less than 24 hours, launch an attack targeting an airport and multiple strategic locations? These are what we classify as strategic targets — combining political, economic, and military dimensions.

It just doesn’t make sense. And does ISIS even have the capability to operate and direct aerial drone swarms? Everyone agrees the number of drones was high. Some were shot down, others crashed, but how could ISIS launch so many drones in a single operation? That suggests a total failure in detection. We need to be precise in what we communicate — it’s clear there are political motives and that a domestic actor is involved.