The counter-terrorism unit in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq confirmed on Tuesday that they successfully downed three drones over the Erbil airport, where US and other international forces are stationed.
In a statement issued by the unit, there was no mention of human casualties or infrastructure damage resulting from the attack.
This incident occurs amidst a surge in attacks against American interests in Iraq and Syria, with ongoing drone and missile strikes targeting US bases in both countries.
On Monday, armed Iraqi factions claimed responsibility for three separate attacks targeting bases with a US presence, including the Erbil airport base in Iraq and the Al-Tanf base in Syria. In their statements, these factions did not explicitly link the attacks to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, but they have cited US support for Israel as a motivation for their actions.
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the drone attack over Erbil. US and international forces in Iraq and across the border in Syria remain on high alert amid a series of attacks, with various armed Iraqi factions taking responsibility for most of them. These attacks have been attributed, in part, to Washington’s support for Israel during its conflict with Hamas in Gaza.