ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An explosive-laden drone targeting a base housing forces of the US-led coalition near Erbil International Airport was intercepted on Tuesday morning, announced Kurdish counterterrorism forces.
The Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism said that the attack was carried out around 9:52 am by “outlaw militias.” No casualties or material damage were reported.
The strike marks the third time forces of the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) have been targeted in Erbil since Saturday. A suicide drone targeting the forces near Erbil airport was shot down on Sunday.
Two explosive-laden drones targeted a Peshmerga base in Pirmam on Saturday evening, without resulting in any casualties. The attack was strongly condemned by the KRG, who held the Iraqi federal government responsible for the “cowardly attacks” of government-linked “outlaw” groups.
Iran-aligned militia groups have targeted US interests in Iraq and Syria with rockets and drones over 100 times since October 17, in response to American support for Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow Iraqi militia groups backed by Iran and affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has claimed responsibility for most of the recent attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria.
The group claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack hours later.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Sunday directed Iraqi security services to launch a comprehensive investigation into the attack on the Pirmam Peshmerga base and cooperate with their Kurdish counterparts to pursue the perpetrators of the strike which the security media cell described as violates national sovereignty and attempting to tamper with internal security and stability
Updated at 2:05 pm...