ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Erbil-based Kurdistan counterterrorism forces on Friday reported that suicide drones targeted Harir airbase, which houses United States-led coalition troops, in the morning.
According to the Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD), also known as Kurdistan CT, at around 10:25 am on Friday “Harir airport in Erbil province was attacked by suicide drones,” with no mention of casualties.
A security source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw that following the attack smoke rose from the airport for about 10 minutes, however no information regarding casualties or damages resulting from the attack is available.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of shadow Iraqi militia groups backed by Iran and affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed Friday's attack on its Telegram channel, noting that it attacked the Harir base with a drone, and that the drone directly hit its target.
The group has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria. Harir airbase has been targeted multiple times since October 17.
The Harir airbase is located 77 kilometres northeast of the Kurdistan Region capital city of Erbil. The airbase houses the US-led global coalition against Islamic State (ISIS).
US troops in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Syria, have been the target of a series of rocket and drone attacks by pro-Iran militias since mid-October, in response to Washington supporting Israel in its war against Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The US has responded to repeated strikes on its personnel in Iraq and Syria with three retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed militia targets in Syria, most recently targeting two Iran-linked facilities in Deir ez-Zor province, east of the country.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh on Thursday told reporters that the American bases of the coalition have been attacked 58 times by Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria.
“So as of today, there have been approximately 58 attacks. So that's 27 in Iraq and 30-31 attacks in Syria,” Singh said according to a transcript provided by the Pentagon.
The attacks “have not caused significant damage to infrastructure and they have not caused significant injury” to any of the US members working in the bases according to Singh.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said earlier this month that the recent drone and rocket attacks on the US-led global coalition forces in Iraq are “extremely dangerous” for Iraq and the Region. He called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to “prevent outlaw forces from creating issues for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”
Around 2,500 American troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria are leading an international coalition through Operation Inherent Resolve that has assisted Kurdish, Iraqi, and local Syrian forces in the fight against ISIS, which once held swathes of land in Iraq and Syria but was declared devoid of territorial control in 2017 and 2019 respectively.
