Explosive drone downed near Erbil airport amid string of aerial attacks across Iraq

ERBIL — An explosive-laden drone was intercepted late Thursday near Erbil International Airport, which hosts troops from the U.S-.led coalition in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Region, Kurdish counterterrorism forces said.

“At 21:58, an explosive-packed drone was downed near Erbil International Airport, without causing casualties or damage,” the region’s counterterrorism services said in a statement.

Dana Tofeek, interim director of the airport, told AFP that the facility is “safe,” adding that “only one flight was slightly delayed due to security measures.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident, which is the latest in a series of drone and rocket-related attacks reported across Iraq in recent days. The airport, which includes a military base used by international anti-ISIS forces, has been a frequent target in previous years.

On June 2, two drones crashed in Sulaymaniyah’s Tasluja area—one near Zalle Primary School and another near a base used by Unit 70 of the Peshmerga forces. Neither exploded, and no injuries were reported. “Two drones crashed, one in Tasluja and the other near the 70th Forces,” said Ahmad Latif, a spokesperson for the unit. “There were no casualties from the drones.” Kurdistan Region security spokesperson Salam Abdulkhaliq confirmed that investigation teams were deployed to both sites.

On the night before the Sulaymaniyah incidents, three missiles struck Kirkuk International Airport and another hit a residence in the city’s Arouba neighborhood. That same night, a drone carrying explosives struck a school in the Bersiv camp for displaced people in Zakho’s Darkar subdistrict, igniting a fire that was later extinguished.

Unidentified drones were also reported flying over the Baiji refinery the following day, prompting defensive fire from Iraqi security forces.

Last week, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, drones struck radar installations at military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

Reporting by AFP and 964media