Baghdad, Jan 16 (EFE).- Kurdish forces on Tuesday intercepted three armed drones over Erbil Airport in northern Iraq, where US and other international forces are stationed, regional security forces said.
A view shows the destroyed home of Iraqi Kurdish businessman Peshraw Dizayee, who was killed along with other members of his family, in an overnight missile attack targeting the city of Erbil, northern Iraq, 16 January 2024. EFE-EPA/GAILAN HAJI
“Three explosive drones, sent to the military base of the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS), were destroyed at Erbil International Airport this morning,” the Iraqi Kurdistan’s counter-terrorism service said in a statement.
An Iraqi Kurdish man inspects the damage inside a home following an overnight missile attack targeting the city of Erbil, northern Iraq, 16 January 2024. EFE-EPA/GAILAN HAJI
The security body added that the devices were intercepted around 5:05 am over the Erbil airport complex without providing further details.
The US-manned military bases in Iraq and Syria have been the target of missile and drone attacks by pro-Iranian Iraqi militia groups since the conflict between Israel and Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on Oct. 7.
Tuesday’s attack on Erbil airport comes hours after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles against the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
Iran claimed that it had targeted “a spy headquarters” of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, alleging it “was the center for developing espionage operations and planning terrorist actions in the region.”
According to Kurdish authorities, the Iranian attack killed four people in Erbil. EFE
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