Drones strike Castrol warehouses in Erbil, sparking massive fire

ERBIL — Drones struck warehouses belonging to British engine oil company Castrol in Erbil early Wednesday, sparking massive fires with no casualties reported, as air defense systems intercepted more than 20 drones targeting the city overnight.

The company said the first drone hit its facilities at 7:20 a.m., with two additional drones striking the site while firefighters were battling the blaze. The warehouses store automotive oil and are licensed to operate in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in partnership with the Sardar Group. Castrol said it has no connection to the regional conflict and that its operations are limited to investment and service provision.

Iran’s IRGC and allied Iraqi militias have carried out more than 450 attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the war began Feb. 28, according to Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani, including six Iranian ballistic missiles that killed six Peshmerga fighters and wounded about 30 near Soran last week.