Drone attacks on Erbil, Sulaimani kill two
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Drone and missile attacks targeting sites in the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil and Sulaimani provinces late Saturday and early Sunday killed two people and wounded others, authorities said.
The attacks targeted multiple locations, including Erbil International Airport, the Peshmerga Unit 70 Command in Sulaimani, the United Nations office, the Turkish consulate in the city, and a camp belonging to the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan.
Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups that identify themselves as part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have claimed responsibility for attacks on the Kurdistan Region since the start of the conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel last week, saying they are striking US positions. However, the attacks have also affected civilian infrastructure across the Region.
Erbil International Airport
Throughout Saturday, several drones were directed toward Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region. Most of them were intercepted by air defense systems.
One of the incidents resulted in the death of an Erbil International Airport security employee and the wounding of three others.
“The defense system worked, but a piece of one of those destroyed drones fell near the security personnel rest area, causing the martyrdom of an airport security employee,” Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw told Rudaw.
Peshmerga Unit 70 Command - Sulaimani
Several drones targeted the Peshmerga Unit 70 Command, affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), in Sulaimani.
According to a statement from the Kurdistan Region Security Agency, the command was targeted with four drones late Saturday night and early Sunday.
The statement said that security teams arrived at the sites immediately and launched an investigation, adding that “the attacks resulted in no human casualties.”
Earlier on Saturday morning, the same site was also targeted by a drone, but the drone was shot down before reaching its target. The agency said, “Investigation into the incident continues.”
United Nations office and Turkish consulate - Sulaimani
Two additional drones targeted areas near the United Nations headquarters and the Turkish consulate in Sulaimani city.
The Kurdistan Region Security Agency said “the attacks caused no human casualties.”
Komala camp - Zargwezala village
A member of the party’s central committee told Rudaw that the attack involved three missiles.
The strike killed one Komala Peshmerga and wounded another.