Kurdistan
Image shows smoke rising after drone attacks on Azadi Camp in Erbil’s Koya district on March 3, 2026. File photo: Screenshot / Submitted
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A drone was shot down over the Koya district in eastern Erbil province early Saturday, before reaching its intended target, according to local officials and Kurdish opposition figures, as a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran continues to hold.
Koya, particularly Azadi Camp, which houses families of Peshmerga members from the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) - has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks. The latest confirmed strike occurred on Thursday, when five drones hit the camp and surrounding areas.
Kawa Bahrami, a senior KDPI member, confirmed the latest incident, telling Rudaw that “the drone was shot down around 1:30 am this morning. As far as we are aware, it came down in the Koya plains, far from the [KDPI] camp.”
Hama Nazif Qaderi, a member of the KDPI leadership council, also dismissed reports that the group’s positions had been targeted, stating that their areas were not subjected to any bombardment overnight or into Saturday morning.
The incident comes amid a tenuous ceasefire following the US-Iran conflict that erupted in late February, when the United States and Israel launched a large-scale aerial campaign against Iran, reportedly striking more than 17,000 sites over six weeks. Tehran responded with waves of drone and missile attacks across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets and Israeli positions, while allied armed groups carried out strikes in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Although a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire was reached on April 8, halting large-scale hostilities, lower-level attacks have persisted. According to the Kurdistan Regional Government, more than 800 attacks were recorded across the Region between the outbreak of the conflict and April 20, resulting in 20 deaths and 123 injuries.
Kurdish authorities have repeatedly condemned the continued strikes, emphasizing that the Kurdistan Region is not a party to the conflict. Iran, however, maintains that Iranian Kurdish opposition groups pose a threat to its national security - a claim that has continued to fuel cross-border attacks despite the truce.
Earlier reports suggested a separate drone attack in the Shaqlawa district, raising concern among residents. However, Shaqlawa Mayor Swara Akram denied the claims.
“There have been no drone attacks on our area since yesterday,” Akram said.
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