Drone strikes UN Hill in central Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH — A drone struck UN Hill in central Sulaymaniyah late Tuesday night, producing a powerful explosion heard across the city at around 10:30 p.m., security officials said.

Residents reported seeing smoke rising from the hill, also known as Girdi Riaya, in the Baranan neighborhood, near the former United Nations office. “According to initial information, the attack was carried out by a drone and no human casualties were recorded,” the Kurdistan Region’s Asayish security agency said, adding that teams arrived immediately and that efforts are ongoing “to determine the source of the attack.” Security forces sealed off the area.

Sulaymaniyah Governor Haval Abubakir urged residents to stay away. “We ask the respected citizens of the city of Sulaymaniyah, for the sake of their own safety and to avoid obstructing rescue teams and the relevant authorities, not to visit the bombarded area in the Baranan neighborhood,” he said.

The strike is the latest in a wave of aerial attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran began Saturday. Earlier Tuesday, air defense systems intercepted several drones targeting the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, and a drone fell on Korek Mountain near Soran for the second consecutive day. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said more than 70 missiles and drones have targeted Erbil alone since Saturday, with Iran and Iran-aligned Iraqi militias claiming responsibility for multiple strikes.