Drone attack leaves three children injured in Kurdistan Region
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Three children were injured in Erbil on Tuesday morning when debris from an intercepted drone struck a residential area in the Kurdistan Region's capital, residents told Rudaw.
The drone crashed in the Sebiran residential compound near Erbil International Airport. It was one of several one-way drones launched at the city on Tuesday, most of which were intercepted by US air defenses.
Hundreds of drone and missile attacks have been carried out against the Kurdistan Region by Iran and its aligned armed groups in Iraq since February 28, when the US and Israel began an extensive air campaign against Tehran.
Iran has retaliated by firing thousands of missiles and one-way drones at Israel, American bases in various regional countries, and energy installations, alongside blockading the Strait of Hormuz.
While Iraqi militias affiliated with Iran had previously targeted the US base and consulate in Erbil, the number of attacks has sharply increased since late last month.
According to Rudaw monitoring, the Kurdistan Region has been hit by more than 500 drone and missile attacks since the beginning of the conflict, with the majority targeting the capital, Erbil. The assaults have killed 14 people, including civilians, and injured 96 others, while damaging around 50 homes and 40 civilian vehicles.
On March 24, Iranian ballistic missiles struck a Peshmerga base in the Soran district of Erbil province, killing six fighters and injuring at least two dozen others.
Kurdish officials have repeatedly urged the Iraqi federal government to curb the militia groups, describing them as “terrorists.”
On Saturday, a drone attack targeted the residence of the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, in Duhok, marking a bold escalation in attacks against the Region. The attack drew widespread international condemnation, including from the US government, the UN Secretary-General, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
The attacks have forced schools and universities across the Region to suspend all in-person classes since Sunday, prompting a shift to online and electronic learning.
On Tuesday, after intercepting the Iranian-backed proxy drone attack, the US conducted airstrikes in retaliation in both Mosul and the town of Rutba in Anbar province, killing two members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and injuring four others, according to the PMF.