Drone debris falls in residential areas of Erbil with one wounded

ERBIL — Several powerful explosions shook Erbil on Wednesday evening after air defense systems intercepted multiple drones over the city, sending debris into residential areas and leaving one person wounded, according to initial reports and videos sent to 964media.

Saraya Awliya al-Dam (Guardians of Blood), operating under the Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said it launched “a swarm of drones” targeting “a base of the American occupation at Erbil airport,” describing the operation as carried out “in fulfillment of our religious duty and in retribution for the blood of the martyred leader Ali al-Husseini Khamenei, and in response to the aggression that led to the martyrdom of three young Iraqi resistance fighters.”

Falling debris struck a residential building in Ankawa, causing fires in two apartments. The chapel of McGivney House, affiliated with the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil, also sustained damage. The Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil said “no injuries were reported among the residents of the complex, nor among the security forces,” and that civil defense teams arrived promptly to assess the damage. The complex is home to several Christian families.

On 32 Park Street, debris wounded a delivery driver; footage from the scene shows the injured man at the site.

Erbil has been targeted by more than 100 missiles and drones since the war began Feb. 28, with Iran and Iran-aligned Iraqi militias claiming responsibility for multiple attacks.