Kurdistan
The explosive-laden drone shot down over Erbil International Airport on July 14, 2025. Photo: Kurdistan CT
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A suicide drone was shot down early Monday near Erbil International Airport, Erbil-based Kurdish counterterrorism forces reported, and no casualties were reported.
“An explosive-laden drone was shot down near Erbil International Airport at 2:30 am this morning. Fortunately, no casualties or material damages were inflicted,” said the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT.
Several loud bangs were heard across the city as the drone was shot down.
It is the latest in a series of drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region after a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect on June 24, ending a 12-day conflict. Several explosive-laden drones have either crashed or been intercepted in the Region since.
The attacks have been blamed on pro-Iran groups, with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) accusing the federal government of failing to address repeated drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region.
Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry specifically accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) of involvement in the incidents, an accusation promptly rejected by Baghdad as “unacceptable.”
Iraqi militia groups have denied involvement and blamed the Islamic State (ISIS).
On Thursday, a drone was shot down over a Peshmerga base near Sulaimani city. A day later, another explosive-laden drone was downed near a Peshmerga base in Kirkuk province.
“An explosive-laden drone was shot down near Erbil International Airport at 2:30 am this morning. Fortunately, no casualties or material damages were inflicted,” said the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT.
Several loud bangs were heard across the city as the drone was shot down.
It is the latest in a series of drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region after a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect on June 24, ending a 12-day conflict. Several explosive-laden drones have either crashed or been intercepted in the Region since.
The attacks have been blamed on pro-Iran groups, with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) accusing the federal government of failing to address repeated drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region.
Earlier this month, the Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry specifically accused the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) of involvement in the incidents, an accusation promptly rejected by Baghdad as “unacceptable.”
Iraqi militia groups have denied involvement and blamed the Islamic State (ISIS).
On Thursday, a drone was shot down over a Peshmerga base near Sulaimani city. A day later, another explosive-laden drone was downed near a Peshmerga base in Kirkuk province.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment