Kurdistan
Moussa Zrarai and his wife were killed in a drone strike that targeted their home in Zargazawi village, located on the northeastern outskirts of Baherka, northwest of Erbil on April 7, 2026. Photo: Social media
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A couple was tragically killed after a drone struck their home on the outskirts of Baherka district, northwest of Erbil, early Tuesday morning, local officials told Rudaw. Authorities described the past 24 hours as among “the most difficult” the Kurdistan Region has faced, following a wave of nearly two dozen attacks.
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw that “a drone directly struck a civilian home” in Zargazawi village, located on the northeastern outskirts of Baherka, “resulting in the martyrdom of a citizen named Moussa Zrarai and his wife.”
Xoshnaw added that three drones had targeted the same area. Two fell in open land, while the third hit the couple’s home.
Zargazawi is a rural agricultural village with no known military presence. The incident has sparked alarm among both officials and residents.
The Governor further described the past 24 hours as “one of the hardest days” for the Kurdistan Region, citing “numerous drones and missiles launched,” particularly toward Erbil.
According to Rudaw’s tracking data, the Region was targeted by 21 drones in just 24 hours - 17 aimed at Erbil and the southeastern Koya district, while four others targeted the Region’s eastern Sulaimani province.
Earlier on Monday, seven attacks struck Erbil and Koya within a two-hour window, according to a provincial security source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm, seven attacks took place,” the source said, noting that five targeted Erbil city and two were directed at Koya. Air defense systems successfully intercepted the incoming projectiles. “Five drones and missiles were used in the attacks, but were intercepted in the air and caused no damage,” the source added.
The attacks are allegedly part of Iran’s broader response to the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Tehran in late February.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported Tuesday that its forces have struck more than 13,000 targets across Iran since the campaign began, aiming to “dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus.”
Meanwhile, shadow Iraqi armed groups operating under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) have claimed responsibility for most of the drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region. Several of these strikes have hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
Since late February, Rudaw monitoring indicates that the Kurdistan Region has endured 678 drone and missile attacks. Of these, 540 targeted Erbil province, 111 struck Sulaimani, 25 hit Duhok, and two impacted Halabja.
Prior to Tuesday’s incident, the attacks had killed 14 people and injured 93 others, including Peshmerga forces, Asayish personnel, fighters from Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, a French soldier, and multiple civilians. With the latest fatalities, the death toll is expected to rise further.
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