Armed drones shot down over Iraq airport where US forces based

Three armed drones were shot down on Tuesday in two separate attacks over Erbil Airport in northern Iraq where US forces and other international forces are stationed, Iraqi Kurdistan’s counter-terrorism service said in a statement, Reuters reports.

The attacks are the latest in a series on US troops in Iraq and Syria as tensions soar in the Middle East over the Israel-Palestine war.

A group called the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” said it targeted Al-Harir military base, which is about 70 km north-east of Erbil Airport.

The defence system at a military base near the airport successfully defended against the drones, the statement said. There were no casualties or damage to infrastructure, a US Defence Department official said.

Coalition forces have been attacked at least 38 times since 17 October; most of these attacks failed to reach their targets, thanks to our robust defences, the US official added.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Al-Sudani, has pledged to pursue those responsible for recent attacks on three military bases in Iraq hosting international coalition advisers, including Ain Al-Asad in western Iraq, a military base near Baghdad’s International Airport and Harir in Erbil.

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