ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw said on Thursday that the reported drone attack on an Italian base in Erbil was actually debris from an intercepted drone that fell near the base.
Italian officials said on Thursday that their base in the Kurdish capital was targeted with an explosive-laden drone late Wednesday.
However, Xoshnaw told Rudaw late Thursday that one of the fragments of the downed drone fell near the Italian forces’ base in the vicinity of Erbil International Airport. He added that the incident did not cause any casualties among the Italian forces.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Thursday strongly discussed the development, stressing the need to prevent further escalation and ensure the safety of diplomatic missions and coalition forces.
The Kurdistan Region has come under drone and missile attacks numerous times since the start of Iran’s war with the US-Israel coalition on February 28.
The Erbil governor said the Italian forces train the Peshmerga.
“These forces train the Peshmerga and came here as part of the international coalition and the war against ISIS [Islamic State]. The Kurdistan Region has greatly benefited from them," stated Xoshnaw.
Italy has hundreds of troops in the Kurdistan Region.
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