Garmiyan drone crash latest in series of incidents this week

GARMIYAN — A drone carrying explosives crashed early Thursday in the Koks subdistrict of Sulaymaniyah’s Garmiyan administration, causing no injuries or damage, according to regional security officials.

“The drone fell and did not detonate. We suspect it ran out of fuel, as its tank was found empty,” a Garmiyan Asayish official told 964media on condition of anonymity. The drone was recovered and transferred to the Sulaymaniyah Operations Command for examination. “The crash site is far from civilian areas, and there were no casualties or material damage,” the official said.

Salam Abdulkhaliq, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s security agency, confirmed the incident in a brief statement. “An explosive-laden drone crashed at 1:20 a.m. in the Koks subdistrict. Security teams arrived at the site shortly after. The drone crash caused no injuries,” he said, adding that an investigation is underway.

Thursday’s incident is the latest in a series of drone and missile-related events across Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan Region.

On June 2, two drones crashed in the Tasluja area of Sulaymaniyah governorate — one near Zalle Primary School in the Sarqala neighborhood and another near a military base affiliated with the Unit 70 Peshmerga forces. Neither drone detonated, and no casualties were reported.

“Two drones crashed, one in Tasluja and the other near the 70th Forces,” said Ahmad Latif, spokesperson for the unit. “There were no casualties from the drones.” Abdulkhaliq said investigation teams were deployed to both sites.

No group has claimed responsibility for any of the recent aerial activity.

The drone crashes followed a wave of coordinated attacks earlier that week. On the night prior to the Sulaymaniyah incidents, three missiles struck Kirkuk International Airport and another hit a home in the city. Around the same time, a drone carrying explosives hit a school in a Zakho camp for displaced people. Hours later, unidentified drones were reported flying over the Baiji refinery in Salah Al-Din governorate, prompting security forces to engage them with anti-aircraft fire.

No group has claimed responsibility for any of the recent drone activity. On the night prior to the Sulaymaniyah incidents, missiles struck Kirkuk International Airport and a home in the city, while a drone carrying explosives hit a school in Zakho’s Bersiv camp for displaced people. The following day, unidentified drones flew over the Baiji refinery in Salah Al-Din governorate, prompting defensive fire from security forces.