Drone 'launched from Iran’ kills married couple in Kurdistan
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The tragic killing of a married couple northwest of Erbil on Tuesday was caused by a drone attack “launched from Iran,” the Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTG) reported, condemning such attacks as a violation of international law and classifying them as a potential “war crime.”
In a statement on Facebook, the CTG said, “On the night of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 00:15 [local time], an explosive-laden drone launched from Iran struck the house of a citizen in Zargazawi village, located in the Darashakran sub-district within Erbil province.”
The statement added that “a married couple - Moussa Anwar Rasoul and Majda Asaad Hassan - were martyred” as a result, with the CTG strongly denouncing such attacks as “a violation of international laws” that constitute “a war crime.”
The Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service emphasized its condemnation of such assaults “in the strongest possible terms.”
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw on Tuesday that three drones had targeted Zargazawi - a rural agricultural village with no known military presence - with two falling in open land and the third striking the couple’s home.
He 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 struck the eastern Sulaimani province.
While no group has claimed Tuesday’s deadly drone attack, shadow Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ have previously declared responsibility for many of the recent strikes on the Region, framing them as part of Tehran’s purported retaliation for the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran in late February.
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw stated that three drones had targeted Zargazawi - a rural agricultural village with no known military presence - with two falling in open land, while the third hit the couple’s home.
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.
While no one claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack, shadow Iraqi armed groups have in recent weeks claimed responsibility to much of them, framing them as part of Tehran’s purported response to the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Tehran in late February.
Since the onset of the conflict, 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.
In a statement on Facebook, the CTG said, “On the night of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 00:15 [local time], an explosive-laden drone launched from Iran struck the house of a citizen in Zargazawi village, located in the Darashakran sub-district within Erbil province.”
The statement added that “a married couple - Moussa Anwar Rasoul and Majda Asaad Hassan - were martyred” as a result, with the CTG strongly denouncing such attacks as “a violation of international laws” that constitute “a war crime.”
The Kurdistan Region’s Counter-Terrorism Service emphasized its condemnation of such assaults “in the strongest possible terms.”
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw on Tuesday that three drones had targeted Zargazawi - a rural agricultural village with no known military presence - with two falling in open land and the third striking the couple’s home.
He 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 struck the eastern Sulaimani province.
While no group has claimed Tuesday’s deadly drone attack, shadow Iraqi armed groups aligned with the Iran-led ‘Axis of Resistance’ have previously declared responsibility for many of the recent strikes on the Region, framing them as part of Tehran’s purported retaliation for the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Iran in late February.
Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw stated that three drones had targeted Zargazawi - a rural agricultural village with no known military presence - with two falling in open land, while the third hit the couple’s home.
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.
While no one claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack, shadow Iraqi armed groups have in recent weeks claimed responsibility to much of them, framing them as part of Tehran’s purported response to the joint US-Israeli military campaign launched against Tehran in late February.
Since the onset of the conflict, 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.